


Before I Ever Met You - AU Negan X OFC - No zombies

by awakeghost



Category: The Walking Dead & Related Fandoms, The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Detectives, Alternate Universe - No Zombie Apocalypse, Alternate Universe - No Zombies, Assassins & Hitmen, Author Is Sleep Deprived, Bad Jokes, Dark Comedy, Detectives, Dirty Talk, Dom Negan (Walking Dead), Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Everyone Is Alive, F/M, Jealous Negan (Walking Dead), Negan Being Negan (Walking Dead), Negan is an automatic warning (Walking Dead), Nice Negan (Walking Dead), Obsessive Behavior, Out of Character Negan (Walking Dead), POV Negan (Walking Dead), Possessive Negan (Walking Dead), Rough Kissing, Stalking
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-13
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:47:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 35
Words: 105,601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23626390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/awakeghost/pseuds/awakeghost
Summary: In a world where the apocalypse didn't happen and Negan is a detective with anger issues.He's on the hunt for a wanted assassin, someone who likes manipulating people, has no moral codes and it's basically a disaster waiting to happen.Will his unhealthy obsession lead to her arrest or to his early grave?"I've killed for you." She admits, confused by how couldn't he just easily accept this act of love in her head. "Who else can say that?"
Relationships: Negan (Walking Dead)/Original Character(s), Negan (Walking Dead)/Original Female Character(s), Rick Grimes/Original Female Character(s), Simon (Walking Dead: Saviors)/Original Character(s)
Comments: 122
Kudos: 141





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hellooooo! 
> 
> I'm writing this story because I finished writing a gut wrenching fanfic (https://archiveofourown.org/works/22076362) and this other OC is so much more fun to write. 
> 
> So here's a story about Salem past as a assassin (https://archiveofourown.org/works/22967446). In this world there's no zombie apocalypse and she wasn't genetically modified, she's a normal human as everyone, just more of a asshole than others, so expect bad jokes and dark humor in this one. lol 
> 
> Also, this one is more violent and smutty than the other one, I'll post TW when necessary. 
> 
> Anyways. 
> 
> I'm posting this because I dreamt about this today so we'll see how it goes. 
> 
> Please let me know what you think about this one. 
> 
> Enjoy and don't forget to comment, we writers pretty much live for external validation hehe

_Lucille_! Negan jolts awake in his bed, cold and alone, his current nightmare coming back to haunt him again. It's been almost two years since his wife passed away due to an all-consuming cancer, and he still dreamt about her. On this dream, she blamed him for her death, for her illness, for everything, he begged for her forgiveness till he couldn't speak anymore and she would turn her back to him, leaving him to it, in a pool of tears. 

"Get it together, asshole." He says to himself, turning the faucet on. "Fuck!" He complaints about the cold water hitting his body, but he has no choice, it's his first day back at work since the incident. Either he get it together or he would be laid off again, this time without payment and for good. 

"Look what the cat dragged in!" His old partner, Simon greets him at the door, a cup of coffee in hand. "Did you missed me?" 

"Fuck no." He hugs his friend, laughing and taking the cup. "Did you?" 

"If only you had a pussy and a pair of tits, then maybe I would have." They both laugh out loud until their superior, Agent Rick Grimes clears his throat. 

"Negan, welcome back. You good?" He asks, studying his face. "Are we good now?" 

"Yes, sir. Peachy keen." Negan smiles sarcastically. "Back on the duty." 

"Good." He says nodding his head. "Everyone, meeting room, five minutes." Rick seems nervous when he asks for this meeting. 

"What's up with the prick?" Negan asks Simon, organizing the stuff on his desk. 

"We got a new case, straight from the boss. They're putting pressure on his ass." 

"Shit, what is it this time?" 

"It's confidential for what I heard so far. I guess we'll found out soon." 

"Better be good." 

\--------------

"So? How did it go?" Russo asks the woman hanging out some clothes in a closet. 

"The green or the leopard print one?" She says ignoring his question, raising two brand new expensive-looking jackets. 

"I asked you a question." He sighs and she blinks, waving the jackets again. "Leopard." 

"See? That wasn't so hard wasn't?" She hangs the green one in the mirror smiling. 

"So?" He repeats himself while she runs her hand on the soft fabric. "Did or did you n-"

"I finished the job, goddamn it!" She snaps at him. "Already written the report, you're sitting on it. Geez." Russo lifts his leg and grabs a file, frowning when he opens the first page. 

"What the fuck? Salem! I thought we said no blood this time." 

"You did? Silly me, I'm sorry." She squeals. "Please, he was a masochist, where's the fun without any drop of blood?" 

"This isn't supposed to be fun, are you insane?" He tossed the file on the ground. "Your father is going to-"

"He's going to do what? Huh?" She tries on the coat, not looking at him. "You see, the mission is fucking done. I thought the ends justify the means or something like that." 

"You know that, screw this. I'm not doing this today. You clean your fucking mess this time, I'm not helping you." He gets up from her bed, annoyed. 

"Wait." She removes the coat and grabs a towel, then glances at the file on the ground. "Pick it up, you're gonna need it." 

"You're going out?" 

"Yes." She takes off her shirt and pants, only leaves her underwear on. "I'm celebrating, it's my birthday." 

"No it's not." 

"You never know do you? I mean, I don't know either but today could be the day so why not?" 

"I...have fun." He raises his hands in defeat. 

"Thanks, I will." 

\------------

"So, is everyone here?" Rick says closing the door. "Good. First of all, let's all welcome back our colleague, Negan. Who I'm sure used his time off to think about his past... mistakes." 

"I did not but carry on, boss." Negan jokes and the room burst into an honest laugh. "Just kidding, sir. Hi everyone, I'm sure y'all missed me as much as I missed you, so...let's get together for drinks after this. On me." A joint yay takes the place and he adds. "The first round, beers only." 

"That's enough, thank you Negan. You all can discuss the details later." Rick interrupts him. "Now... it happened again." 

"Another? Really?" One detective says. 

"Last night to be precise." Rick pushes a button, the lights go off and the monitor goes on, a sound of disgust can be heard in the back of the room. "Ronald Rowe, a French art collector mogul, he was found in his office, no sign of trespassing, no fingerprints, no DNA, camera footage was wiped out too." 

"So what do we got?" Negan asks, studying the crime scene, there was blood everywhere, so much blood it was hard to even determine his cause of death. 

"Nothing, but it's the second art collector who dies in the span of a month, all violent deaths without any apparent reason. But Ronald had influent friends so...this case is now ours." _Rich people always fuck other people over, even death he has a higher place, so fucking unfair._ "We were asked discretion on this, I'm sure I can count on all of you. Right, Simon?" Simon was known to speak more than he should, especially drunk. 

"My mouth is nothing but a grave, boss." He awkwardly smiles, elbowing Negan's ribs to stop him from laughing even more. "No witness?" 

"Only one, his daughter, Regina." He pressed another button and a picture of a young woman. "She says she heard her father talking with someone who had an Italian accent, they argued about a painting he was auctioning but that's all she heard, she went out to smoke and he died on the span of 30 minutes." 

"How can we be sure she didn't do it?" 

"She was caught by the security camera from the building across the street...then on a convenience store, where she bought one bottle of gin." 

"She's not actually a reliable witness is she now?" Negan asks. 

"She's the only witness we got so better than nothing. We already questioned her, she didn't say much it could help us. Only a voice with a thick Italian accent." He passes to the next slide. "The report says he choked on his own blood. His tongue and eyes were ripped out of his body after his death." 

"Goddamn it, people are getting sicker and sicker." Negan frowned at the dead man mauled face, his eyes laying on the man's hands. "And his tongue?" 

"It wasn't at the scene. So we think the killer took as a souvenir." Rick sighs. "We need ideas, we're thinking a man, early thirties-" 

"What makes you think it was a man?" Negan says looking at the file. "The daughter said she heard someone with an Italian accent, she never said it was a man." 

"Negan, you're back on the job now, but this is the second case. The first one, Jacob Kimble, also an art collector, his colleague actually, was found in his house, his eyes plucked out too, his tongue was also taken but we never published this detail."

"Any witness on the first one?" 

"Yes, his maid and she says she saw a man leaving his house in the morning. White, late twenties or early thirties. That's why." Rick says annoyed with the interruption. "So, in two days, Ronald and Jacob were planning to have an auctioning, Regina is carrying on with it, we think the killer might attend the party. Considering most serial killers do." 

"I don't think this is a case of a fucking serial killer, Rick. I mean, why bother to ask about a painting? Something doesn't add up." 

"Negan. You and Simon going to the auctioning tomorrow, as Regina personal bodyguard, the rest of us are going undercover." He lights up the lights. "Any questions?" 

"Yeah...what happened to the maid? The first witness of this said killer?" Negan raised his hand and asks, Rick's glances around the room and sighs. 

"She died of bleach poisoning. She drank 2L." 

"She drank two fucking liters of bleach?" Negan chuckles. "I would think that a maid out of anyone would've known better. Come on Rick, this was clearly someone cutting the loose ends." 

"That's it. Thanks everyone, back to work." Rick ignores him and walks out of the room. 

"Shit, nothing really changed huh?" He pays Simon's back. "What do you think?" 

"I think that whatever the hell this person is, I wouldn't want to cross paths with." Simon cracks his neck. "Come on, you're helping me with the paperwork so we all can get our drinks. On you of course." 

"I'm regretting it already." Negan rolls his eyes but stands up, stretching his back. "But let's do this, can't wait to hear all the juicy shit I missed." 

\--------------

"Alright, alright, like I fucking promised, the first round is on me!" Negan opens his arm when entering the full bar, his crew cheering. 

"So, how you dealing?" Simon says after the first drink. "Still having nightmares?" 

"I don't want to talk about it." Negan simply says chugging his drink. "Tell me some funny shit, what did I miss?" 

"Well, Rick found out that his wife was banging Shane-" 

"No fucking way. Shane? Shane the guy who walks around with his chest puffed out like a fucking peacock?" Negan asks laughing loudly. "DAMN!" The place was so full that the bartender could barely serve the drinks in time. 

"I know right?!" Simon laughs, ordering another drink. "What else…" 

"Excuse me." A drop-dead gorgeous woman with black hair, big green eyes squeezed her way in, getting the attention of the bartender, ordering a drink. 

"Be my guest, sugar." Simon chugs his drink and tries his best to flirt with her, who barely acknowledges anyone by her side. 

"Leave the bottle, thanks." She hands a few notes, grabs a glass and squeezes her way out.

"Simon, please don't embarrass yourself." Negan laughs at his friend, whose eyes were glued on the woman getting a table for two all to herself. "Besides, she's WAY out of your league." 

"You think so? Or you just want her to yourself?" Simon snorts. 

"Don't be ridiculous. Finish your drink, I want to play pool." Negan gulps down his beer, still looking at the woman, who poured herself a drink. 

"So? What do you say?" The place is emptier by now and Negan grabs two cues and hands one to Simon, who was a little drunk now. "Simon, are you good to play, goddamn it?" 

"Better than ever." He leans on the cue, falling to the side, stumbling on the woman's table, dropping her glass. "Oh...I'm sorry, I'm so sorry…" 

"Simon, that's enough. Let's go. I'm sorry ma'am." Negan grabs Simon's arm but it's interrupted by her laugh. 

"That's elderly abuse you know?!" She drinks straight from the bottle, taking a deep breath. "Let him play, he might not have that much time left." She hands Simon the cue and turns on her chair, now facing the pool table. "Just try not to embarrass yourself. Again." 

"You wanna play, doll?" Negan chuckles at her comment and fixes the balls on the table, chalking the tip of his cue. 

"If wanted to spend my time hitting on bland cold balls, I would get a boyfriend." She says crossing her legs, sipping from her bottle and he raised his eyebrow at her bluntness. 

"Tou fucking che." He leans in, aiming and breaks with a loud satisfying noise. "Shit…" 

"My turn, my turn. Move." Simon stumbles towards the table, taking his sweet ass time chalking his cue. 

"So, what brings you here?" Negan asks, noticing how she was watching his drunk friend with an unreadable expression on her face. 

"Boredom. You?" She states, checking her watch. 

"First day back on duty. Figured it was a nice way to start." He chuckled, Simon is now leaning in and aiming. "I'm Negan." 

"That's a...new name." The woman smiles confusingly. "I'm Lucy." She reaches out her hand and he takes a second to shake it. "What?" 

"Nothing, it's just...it's a familiar name." He waves it off just in time for Simon to hit a ball on a socket to his surprise. 

"Guess you're the one who's going to be embarrassed in the end huh?" She laughs, sipping the bottle and he groans. "Why don't you two make a bet on it?" 

"Do you have any suggestions on how to make this interesting, baby?" Negan leans back, his cocky smile plastered on his face, he could swear that he saw her eyes glistening, getting darker for a second, like if a sinister idea had just crossed her mind. 

"I do actually." She uncrosses her legs and jumps from her chair. "But you're a big boy." Her hand full of rings pats his chest. "Figure out on your own, _baby_."

"Noooo, you're leaving?" Simon says noticing she was putting on her green coat. "Stay, we're just getting started." 

"Sounds fun but I gotta go." 

"Careful, there's a killer on the loose!" Simon blurted out, pointing his finger to the door. "And he's a twisted motherfucker too." 

"SIMON!" Negan calls out. _Rick's gonna lose it._

"What? I would hate if he plucked out her eyes too! I mean, look at them, they're like, like-" 

"That's fucked up." She simply says uninterested, flicking her hair out of her coat. "Thanks for letting me know. Are you two from the police or something like that?" 

"Yeah, we are. So if you ever need anything-" 

"Simon, that's enough. Shut the fuck up." Negan sighs, his patience running thin. 

"Anyways...I think I'll make it tonight. If I don't, well, nice to meet you two." 

"Can I get your number?" Simon asks when she walks past him. 

"Yeah, it's the same as the AA. Good night." She jokes and walks off the place, Negan's loud laugh filled her ears, making her smile, her face going from friendly to serious the second the door closes behind her. Reaching out for her phone, she begins to walk home, closing her coat tighter around her chest. 

"What?" 

"Geez, hello to you too." She scoffs at the phone. "Did I woke you up?" 

"Yes." The man says annoyed. "What do you want?" 

"I'm just calling to let you know that the police already know, but it's a different people from last time. I think they changed stations." 

"How do you know that?" He asks. "Salem, what the hell did you do?" 

"Nothing, It was pure dumb luck. Met them in a bar, the rest is history." 

"See? That's why we told you NO blood, the gorier it is, the worst-" 

"What is done is done. I'm just letting you know." She barks at the phone. 

"Very well." Russo takes a deep breath. "I'm putting someone on it. But now, you need to keep it low. No infiltrating. No killing. No _Saleying_." 

"That's not even a word…" She changes the subject. 

"Tell me you understand." 

"...fine! I won't." _He didn't say anything about hunting tho._

"No hunting either." Russo ads like if he was reading her mind. 

"FINE! What the hell am I supposed to do then?" She stomps her foot on the ground, annoyed. 

"Stay put. The next mission is in two days, already sent you the file. Study." She groans already hating it. "Salem, don't fuck this shit up."

"I won't." Salem reaches out on her bag to her key and stops, the mischievous idea popping on her mind. "Gotta go. Bye." She glances around the street, her eyes always sharp on the search for possible enemies. _He said no hunting...but he didn't say no stalking. Negan is an unusual name, it won't be hard to dig him up. Who knows what I might find?_


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a quick chapter before it gets even dirtier lol

"Ugh, my head is killing me." Simon groans drinking his third cup of coffee of the day. 

"Maybe you shouldn't have to soak all that booze last night, old man." Negan laughs, looking fresh as ever, the thrill of a new case always got him going. "You don't remember anything from last night?" 

"I remember beating your ass on the game that's for sure." He slurps on the coffee. "Also, did I got that girl number?" 

"Yes, she said it's the same as the AA one." Negan chuckles into his mug. "Don't worry about it, I wrote it down for you." 

"Very funny, very fucking funny." Simon toss a paper ball on his face, just in time for Rick to walk by. 

"You two, my office. Now." He says entering his office and leaving the door open. _Now what_? 

"You wanted to see us?" Simon says sitting down, Negan takes a while longer but ends up sitting too. 

"Yes…" Rick sighs, pinching his nose bridge. "I just want to be sure that both of you are fit for tomorrow's job. We can't bear no mistakes, Regina's safety it's our priority." 

"We are up for the job." Negan quickly says. "Do we have any other clues? Anything?" 

"Nothing. It's like the killer did what he wanted to do then vanished. But one thing's for sure, he ain't no amateur, he knew exactly what he was doing." 

"We won't screw this up, sir. You have my word." Negan states, full of confidence. 

\-------------

"So what are we thinking?" Salem asks on the phone, a variety of dresses laying down on her bed. "Overdose? You know she will drink and snorts anything that's chemical right?!" 

"No blood. That's all. Don't make a mess this time." Russo says on the phone. "They are still looking into it, so don't-" 

"Don't screw this up I know." She says mocking his tone. "Anything from the police station?" 

"Yeah, two are going as her personal bodyguard, a few more infiltrated so be careful." 

"I am, always!" She picks a knee-length black dress. "Can we go out for drinks later?" Salem teases him. 

"Only if you behave." Russo playfully says but she already knew that he wasn't coming. _Scary cat._

"Can't promise anything. Oh, just one more thing, do you know why they wanted their tongues?" She remembered cringing when she cut them off, right after plucking their eyes out, even though being discreet wasn't her style, she never took personal souvenirs to herself, unless it was something she really liked, like that scarf that one time. _Now that I think about it...why the hell they said no blood but still asked me to pluck out their eyes and tongue?!_ Salem frowns in doubt but shrugs off a second later. _Better not to ask too many questions_...

"Why are you asking? It's unlike you to ask questions."

"I know, I was just curious." She plays it off with ease. 

"All I can say, it's none of your business." 

"You're absolutely no fun you know that don't you?" 

"Don't be late, you'll only have one chance to get her alone." 

\------------

"I look like a fucking penguin." Negan tugs on his tie for the 5th time in 10 minutes. "Where the hell is she?" 

"Calm down, she's pulling up right now." Simon says walking towards the door, Regina Rowe stumbles out of a car, squinting her eyes at the bright lights. 

"Miss Rowe, sorry for your loss." Negan reaches out his hand and she ignores it, walking inside the gallery. "What a nice sweet girl, huh?" He leans back, already hating this gig. 

"Miss Rowe, we're from the police. We are here to protect you." Simon says getting by Regina's side. "Is that clear?" 

"Yes, God. Stop talking." She says with a thick french accent, handing over her purse to Simon. "Why don't you get me a drink huh? I'm mourning." 

"Listen to me, we are not your fucking slaves, kid. We are here to make sure that the same sicko that killed your father, doesn't do the same to you. Are we clear?" Negan grabs her arm to make a point. "Are. We. Clear?" 

"Yes…" Regina mumbles, her hand playing with her neck scarf. 

"Good. Now do what you would usually do in this kind of shitty place." He adds, fed up with her behavior. One hour later, the auctioning was about to start, Regina was mingling with a few people, Simon was on it since Negan still had a bad mood and attitude towards the girl so he figured it was best to make around than take the chance to curse her out even more. 

After a few rounds, he stops by a red painting, different shades of red, creating a bloody yet memorizing constract, he glances his side when someone approaches that same painting. 

"Wait...I know you." He says turning around to the woman, with dark hair carefully braided up, turtle neck black dress and a burgundy coat. "Lucy, right?" 

"Oh...you're that guy from that bar!" She shakes his hand, smiling. "That one who played pool with the drunk grandpa." 

"That's me." He states. "What are you doing here? I didn't peg you for the whole...art shit." 

"Please, you barely met me." She jokes sipping on her champagne. "And I'm not really...I was supposed to meet someone here but I guess I got stood up." 

"No...of course not, I'm sure he's coming." Negan glances at Regina, still kissing potential buyers asses. _Fuck my life._

"That's ok. First time for everything right?" She shrugs, checking her watch, her eyes roaming around the room. "And you? What brings you here?" 

"Work actually."

"Oh...don't tell me you're expecting a shoot out. Because if you're I'm going home right now, apparently today's not my lucky day." Lucy jokes and he laughs. 

"No. It's not that. Actually...I can't say much, I'm sure you understand." 

"Of course." She nods, her green eyes measuring him for a quick second. "I'll stare at those paintings for five more minutes then I'm going get a cab, might drown my sorrows in booze, it's still early." Negan smiles at her dry humor. "Anyways, good luck in whatever is your job here today, officer." She raises her glass and walks away, a sinister grin on her red painted lips. 

"Thank you." He says, controlling his urge to ask her out for drinks after this, but duty calls. "See you around." Negan states before coming back to Regina and Simon's spot. 

"Regina, it's time to start the auctioning." A woman leans in and warns her. 

"Alright, ok...just let me retouch my makeup." She walks towards the bathroom, scratching her nose and sniffing, Negan and Simon right behind here. "Uh, hello? A little privacy please?" Both of them takes a deep breath, Simon walks inside the bathroom to check the doors. 

"All clear." He states and she walks inside the bathroom, talking on her phone in french.

"Guess who I ran into here." Negan says playfully.

"Who?" 

"That girl from the bar, Lucy." 

"No way. What is she doing here?" 

"She was waiting for someone, said she got stood up. What an asshole." Negan says just in time to see her walking towards the door, cracking her back and neck, stretching her arms above her head. "There she is." He raises his hand and waves, she stops for a second, smiles and waves it back at them, leaving the place. 

"So how's your night going?" Simon asks, knowing damn well he was hating it. 

"I'm gonna kill Rick one day. He'll see." After ten minutes they knock on the door, no answer. 

"Regina?" Negan knocks again. Still nothing. "Simon…"

"I'm sure she's just…" he tries to find an excuse. "REGINA? We're coming in." They open the door, the sink faucet open but no sign of Regina. 

"Regina?" Negan grabs his gun, his fingers pointing at the last cabinet, Simon takes a deep breath and does the same, slowly walking towards the door. 

"Regina?" They called and knock. "SHIT!" Simon curses out, grabbing his phone and calling an ambulance while Negan pulls her head from the toilet, covered in water and vomit, Regina was unconscious, kneeling on the ground, both of her hands grasping on the sides of the toilet like if she had kneeled to vomit and had passed out, drowning in toilet water full of her own vomit. It was a horrific disgusting scene. 

"What the hell happened?????!" He lays her down on the floor, gasping when he notices that she's already blueish. 

"Regina, stay with me." Negan slaps her face, her skin is cold and there's no heartbeat. "REGINA?!" 

"Shit…she's dead." Simon states. "WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?" 

\------------

"It's done." Salem states, grunting in pain, walking in a hurry, putting her coat on, the task getting longer than usually did, the gloves on her hands making it harder. 

"What's wrong?" Russo asks, his voice hitting concern and annoyance. "Don't tell me you screwed up-"

"Hey! You try to squeeze yourself through such a small window like I just did." She was thin, 5'6 and had stretched before but still, she could feel the bruises already forming on her hips. "But no, no one saw me pretzel my way in there, Russo. The poor thing choked then drowned while she puke her guts out." Her voice showing a smidge of humor. "But I waited, she's dead. No blood. Made it look like an accident at first glance, we have at least two days before they found out what really happened. Happy?" 

"... actually. Yes, good job." Russo sighs. "Now, go home, do your report and stay put. Let the police do their job, if anything gets suspicious, we're moving you. Got it?" 

"Ugh. Give me something to do, you know an idle brain is the devil’s workshop." She complains, the waiting was the worst part, Salem was one of those people that couldn't stand still to save her life, getting bored easily and everytime she got bored, nothing good ever come out of it. **Never**. "Are you there?" 

"Stay put and play nice. Bye." He hangs up ignoring her request. _See? Now what the hell am I supposed to do?_ A police car rushes towards the gallery direction and she snorts, covering her mouth, they just rushed pass through the killer right there without the slightest clue. 

\------------- 

"Come on Negan, there was nothing you could've done." Simon says for the third time on the week. Three days had passed and he still couldn't wrap his head around the idea that Regina would pass out on her own vomit and choke on it. She hadn't drink that much, she was very much lucid. 

"No, there's something fishy here." He sighs. "I can fucking feel it." Unfortunately, they checked all the cameras and workers, no one saw anything out of the ordinary, it was a open gallery with heavy security, which meant that on that very specific night, you didn't have to sign your name by entering, only if you were about to bid in a piece so they weren't able to reach out everyone that attend the auctioning. 

"Attention, everyone. We have some... upsetting news." Rick announces at the station. "We got the autopsy report and hate to say it but you were right... Negan." 

"What?" Simon asks, looking around the room, Negan had his jaw clenched, waiting for the rest of what Rick had to say. 

"Regina's lungs had no sign of vomit... which means she didn't die by choking on it, or drowning." He places her picture on the wall next to her father's. "She was choked by her own scarf we assume, considering it was stretched out and ripped in some bits. Her neck had some marks indicating she was choked while she puked by someone standing behind her." 

"But how? We checked the bathroom before she entered and the window was-"

"The window was big enough for someone small and flexible enough to slide through, Simon!" Rick tosses the rest of the file on the floor, in frustration. 

"Do we have any DNA? Something? Anything?" 

"No. Not even a single strand of hair." 

"GODDAMN IT!" Negan curses out and Simon tries to calm him down. 

"Uh... I, uh excuse, sir." The rookie comes into the room after knocking. "There's a package here, says it's urgent…" 

"Not now!" Rick spats and the boy stays there. "Didn't you hear me?" 

"It's not for you sir...says here it's for **The Two Worst Body Guards In History, Like Ever.** Says it's urgent." The room gets quiet and Negan nods, standing up and getting the package. 

He sits down, taking a deep breath before opening the box light small blue box, inside there's just a pink bottle of Pepto-Bismol, a famous antiemetic, usually used to stop people from vomiting. 

"What the hell is this? What kind of sick joke is this?" Simon says to the full room, no one showing signs of being the prankster. 

"I don't think anyone here would play such a distasteful joke such as this-" 

"There's a note." Negan states raising the small piece of paper, his anger boiling inside of him. 

" **Q** : what did Cinderella say when she got to the ball?" 

**A:** Nothing, she _choked_." 

"HOLY MOTHER-GODDAMN-SHIT FUCK!" He tosses the card on the ground, getting up from the table, pushing away the box, furious with the surprise. 

"That's from... the killer, no fucking way." Simon whispers, his eyes going wide. 

"Everybody calm down!" Rick orders. "No one else touches that box, we are having the forensics to check it out for fingerprints. That's all, we'll continue this later, everybody out!" He turns to look at the board, his heart racing _._ Not only they had a triple murder in hands, then murderer was now messing with them too, using them for a quick laugh. 

"Negan, are you ok?" Simon asks while they smoke outside, on the curb. "We're going to catch him, don't worry about it. You hear me? We are catching this sicko." 

"I know." He blows some smoke, taking a deep breath, calming himself. "It's fucking personal now." It was his first case after his paid leave and he would not be made of a fool, or so help God. _This is fucking personal now. I'm going to catch you, motherfucker. Even if kills me, you're going down. Dead or alive, I'm going to put you down._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Negan's on the hunt now hehhehe
> 
> Next chapter the trio meets again under the weirdest circumstances, I'll post that one soon. Feel free to give me your thoughts and ideas, basically what you would want to see in this fic 
> 
> Thanks for reading! Don't forget to leave a comment, see you soon, byeee


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Helloo! It's double chapter day lol

After cleaning her whole place up and down simply because there was nothing else left to do, she walks out of a steaming hot shower and puts on a robe, Salem lays down on her freshly made bed, grunting when her laptop hits a sensitive spot on her hip, the bruises she got by squeezing herself trough that small ass window still there to bother her. _I need a fucking raise...but in the meantime._ She fidgets her fingers on the keyboard, doing some online shopping for expensive real looking wigs of different hair colors and lengths since some of her jobs required being undercover. _Speaking of going undercover.._ .she access the personal data system she usually uses for targets and types his name. _What on God’s earth his mommy was thinking? Lord…_

_Detective Negan, late thirties, 6ft1, blood type O-, no kids, dead wife...wait, Lucille? That’s why he looked at me funny._ She chuckles. _Wow...someone got some serious anger issues, one-two four warnings, one paid leave bla bla bla, address…?! That’s actually not that far from- No...not going down that hill again...Russo said stay put, play nice. You already went out your way with the little trick you sent them, no no, not doing it_ . She shuts and toss her laptop on her bed, getting up and putting some clothes on. _You just need to catch some fresh air_ ...her stomach growls. _And food, when was the last time I shop for groceries?_ Salem roams around her apartment writing a list for everything she needs. _I’m going to spend the whole day making the perfect Italian lasagna from scratch, that will keep my head away from stalking him._

Doing her usual ritual of placing a random object by the door in a way that only her would remember the original position so that if anyone sneaks in, she would know immediately by its state, she puts her earphones in and locks her apartment and leaves the building, greeting the old lady who lives on the same floor and her nosy horny ass teenager grandson. _At least she bakes some really great cookies from time to time._ Salem lives in a big apartment that is either too close or too far from convenience places, like bakeries, pharmacies, markets and bars, and she loves walking, almost never catching cabs. 

“Good morning!” The man by the door greets her as he always does, his goofy smile and sweaty punchable face always annoyed her, and she was already noticed by her looks alone so whenever she supposed to stay in place for a while longer, she would always be polite. _People tend to remember those who act like cunts other than those who are nice so it’s worth the effort._

“How’s your mother going Al? Any improvement?” 

“No not really...you know...dementia. I was thinking of catching the subway to visit her...you know, I could use some comp-” He waves it off and Salem just nods, patting his shoulder. _Count me the fuck out_.“You smell really nice today, Lucy! I mean, you always do! Not that I try to smell you or anyth-” He stutters passing her a cart, something that wasn’t even his job, he worked in the kitchen from what she knew. 

“Thanks Al! That’s so sweet.” She smiles pushing the cart, her friendly facade dropping the second she walks past him, putting her bag on the top of the little chair destined to kids. _Okay, let’s do this._ She picks up all the necessary ingredients for the lasagna and some other things for snacks and cravings, which took pretty much 60% of her cart. _Last thing, wine!_ She stops by the shelf and checks the ones that are available. _Ugh, why the good ones are always on the top?_ Salem groans and tries to reach the last shelf tray, but being 5’6 and sore didn’t actually help. _Where’s freaking Al when I need his needy ass?_ She jumps again and she hears a familiar laugh behind her. 

“Need a hand?” He takes less than a second to reach the wine she wanted, reading the label with bright hazel eyes. “There you go, doll.” Negan hands her the bottle with a playful smirk on his lips. 

“Thanks...” She looks around the store and spots Simon coming over empty-handed. _Oh fuck_. “I’m sorry but I gotta ask, are you following me?”

“Me?! Nah, doll, actually, I’m following a lead.” He says glancing at her shopping cart. 

“Really?” 

“Yeah-” 

“Well, I’ll be damned!” Simon smiles recognizing her, reaching out his hand. “My apologies for the other day-” 

“It’s fine, don’t worry about it!” Salem turns to her cart, carefully placing the wine bottle. “So, what brings you two here?” She asks knowing Simon is not as mysterious and secretive as his partner, Negan. 

“Oh we were interviewing a witness, from the catering you know? Apparently he was smoking outside and heard when the killer ran out through the window, he said it’s definitely a woman-”

“Simon!” Negan calls his attention. 

“Oh..” _FUCK GODDAMN MOTHERFUCKER SHIT SON OF A FUCKING BITCH! “_ I saw on the news, poor girl.” Salem remains calm, no one saw her, just heard her, that’s cool, it’s cool, Russo would get her out if anything went sideways. “If there’s anything I could do to help...” 

“Actually we talked with Al already, he’s trying to remember more details about it, we’ll come back after his shift ends...and considering you left before she was killed-” _AL IS THE FUCKING WITNESS?_

“ACTUALLY, SIMON!” Negan interrupts him, glaring at his big-mouthed friend. “We would like to talk with you too, if you’re not too busy now.” He says with his most charismatic smile. 

“I was…” She glances over his shoulder, Al waves at her, a big smile on his face. _I need to deal with him, fast before he says more than he should_. “I was going to cook me some lasagna from scratch, so...I can stop by the police station later, if that's okay." Negan squints his eyes for a second but smiles one later. 

"Of course. Let's not get in your way, doll." He takes a step to the side, giving her passage. "Here's my card. Call me if you need anything." Simon hands her his card, his expressive eyebrows giving him a funny looking face. 

"I will." She takes the card, smiling. "Have a nice day _._ " _Fuck fuck fuck fuck, Russo's going to fucking kill me._

"Hey Lucy, do you need help with-" Al comes from his spot to bother her again. 

"Actually Al, I actually could use a hand." She smiles and hands him a one hundred note. "Think you can get the rest of my groceries delivered for me?" Salem begins to write her address and he stops her. 

"Sure, sure! Anything! I actually know... where you live." He admitted embarrassed and Salem immediately gets on an alert state. "I live by the end of the street so-"

"So you can do this for me?" She interrupts him, bagging the rest of her things, taking just the needed things for her lunch. "Thanks, Al, you're a peach. Bye!" Salem smiles and waves, her hand fishing for her phone in her purse but she almost drops the wine bottle. _Oh God oh shit, I'll call him when I get home._

Rushing through the building, she unlocks the door and rush inside her apartment. _It's cool, no big deal. We can fix this._ She places her shopping on the kitchen counter and pours herself a cup of vodka, just to wake her up. _Wait..._ Salem look around her apartment, something was off, walking towards the door, she notices that the little soldier toy by her door had his gun turned to south instead of east. _Fuck_ . Not one second later her front door is flung open by a very angry looking Russo. **_F u c k._ **

"...I can-" he rushes towards her, grabbing her neck with his slender yet strong hand and pushes her against the mirror, cracking in the process. 

"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?" He growls at her. "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA OF THE MESS YOU COULD GET INTO?" 

"Wait, I can explain." She struggles to breathe with his grip around her neck, knowing she did screw up by sending the police a tricky note. _But it's so much fun to mess with them_. "I was just-" 

"Lucy?" There's a knock on the door, Russo immediately let go of her. _You have to be fucking kidding me, this day couldn’t get any fucking worse_. "Your door was open-" 

"Detective Negan...hi." she smiles, catching her breath back, Negan's eyes go from her face to Russo to the broken mirror behind her, immediately changing to a suspicious darker expression. _Fuck my fucking life._


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second chapter of the day! 
> 
> Salem puts herself to work again.

"It's everything alright here?" He enters her apartment, him and Simon with the rest of her grocery bags. Negan had a sniff of something off from the way Al talked about her on the way out, like an addict talking about his favorite drug so he took the matter of delivering her stuff I'm hands. With hiding meaning of course. 

"Yeah, sure." Russo smiles, running a hand through his perfect hair. "Isn't that right...Lucy?" 

"Peachy keen." Salem grabs the bags from his arms, setting them on the counter, doing the same with Simon's. "This is my old roommate, Frank." She introduces them, noticing how the air suddenly got heavier with Negan and Billy having a stare off competition. "He was leaving actually…right Frank? You had that thing you just couldn't get late to?" 

"Yeah, just stopped by to check up on you, gotta be sure you're not getting yourself into trouble right?!" Russo laces his arm around her waist and squeezes, knowing damn well she was sore on that area, Salem has to bite her tongue to prevent a whine from coming out her mouth, smiling instead. "But you're right, gotta go, there's a fire I have to put out." He winks at her then let her go. "Nice to meet you, detectives. Thank you for your service." Russo walks out of her place, furious than ever. 

"... thank you for bringing the rest of the stuff but I already had set up with Al." Salem closes the door and rushes to the kitchen, thinking a way to escape if necessary. "Can I get you two anything?" 

"Nah, we were just being friendly." Simon says looking around her apartment while Negan got closer to her bookshelf and picture wall, his hands on his waist. "So, what you do for a living?" He asks looking over his shoulder. 

"If you get it right, you're invited to lunch." She smiles, putting her hair up and washing her hands before grabbing the needed ingredients for her lunch. _Now it’s not the time to raise any suspicion_. "You have three shots, detective." 

"You do like games huh?" Simon laughs. _You have absolutely no idea._ "Model?" 

"That's flattering but no." She pours and mixes the ingredients together, her eyes alert for any change of behavior, Negan was quiet which unsettled her. "Two shots left." 

"Writer?" Simon takes another shot and she scoffs. 

"Nope. Last chanc-" 

"You're a photographer." Negan states confidently and she stops mixing. "For your equipment next to your front door, from all those pictures on your wall, these books. You're naturally curious, creative, patient. Your clothes are carefully picked, you know what works for you and I assume for others." He turns around to face her, his smile smug as ever. "You probably has good people skills for the way Al talked about you, or maybe it's just your alluring looks...and last but most certainly not least, you have a great eye for details, considering you're carefully studying me the second I walked in here, like if you're waiting for something to happen all the time." He leans back and raises his brows. "So?" 

"Well…" Salem turns to grab a rolling pin on her top cabinet, impressed with his reading, she wasn't exactly a photographer but he was right about the rest. _Maybe not so much on the patience part but still..._ "Consider yourself invited then." _Finally someone interesting._

"I can't say no to Italian food." Negan sits down and nods to Simon to do the same. "So, Lucy, is it okay if we asked you some questions about the auctioning now?" 

"Sure." She rolls and spreads the dough with the rolling pin. "I'm great at multitasking." 

"Great." Simon grabs a small notepad to write things down. "We need your name, age and phone number." 

"Lucia Cabot, I'm 26." _Am I? I never knew my birthday or true age...but I like to think I'm at least 26,_ she gives them her phone number (one of many) and continues her work, answering their harmless questions. "Anything else?" Salem asks while cutting the dough in square slices with a sharp knife. 

"Yeah, just one more thing." Negan says reading the book cover nearby, which happens to be in French. "You speak French?" _What kind of assassin doesn’t speak multiple languages_?

"Not yet." She playfully says. "This was a gift from my date... before he stood me up." 

"What a loser." Simon jokes flirty. "You cursed him out yet?" 

"Of course not, detective!" She smiles assembling the dough sheets on a pile, cooking the meat and preparing the ragu. "I give people one chance and one chance only. Wasting time is not for me." Negan's hazel eyes roam over her face, studying. "So…" she shrugs ignoring his stare, focusing on the cooking, preheating the oven already. "But enough about me or I'll get used to it with all the attention. What about you two?" 

"What about us, doll?" Negan says sipping on a glass of water. 

"What came first, the job or the friendship?" Salem casually asks. "You seem awfully close…" 

"Simon's like a fucking rock in my shoe I can't shake it off." They all laugh before Simon slaps his arm. "The job came first." 

"That's nice…" 

"And that guy from earlier, Frank?" He questions, curious. He wasn't dumb, he noticed how heavy the air was when he entered. "He seems nice too…" 

"Aw, Frank's a teddy bear." Salem chuckles, mixing and pouring the meat and ragu together. "I moved out of his place recently, he's still attached." 

"Can you fucking blame him?" Negan states, his piercing gaze sending a shiver down her spine. "I'm sure your friend's dying to come back." 

"Huh...I doubt it." Salem laughs leaning down to place the lasagna on the oven. "You don't want to know how is to be friends with me. Trust me, officer." She winks and grabs her ringing phone. "I gotta take this, excuse me for a second." 

"Yeah?" 

"Yeah???? You have two fucking police officers in your place and you tell me yeah?" _Russo, always a drama queen_. "When your father hears of this..." 

"He won't." Salem states, looking herself on the broken mirror, running her fingers through her tied hair. "Because you're not going to tell him." 

"I won't? You have to fucking kidding me, Salem, get rid of those officers. You're leaving tonight." 

"First of all, calm down that I got this under control okay? Second of all, you don't need to tell him, at least not yet. Come on, give me a chance to fix the mess. I'll owe you one." 

"This won't work this time, Salem. Last time I let you slide, you almost ended up in jail." 

"That's over-exaggerating…" 

"Need I remind you that was caught with bloody-"

"That's irrelevant now!" _Let's not even go there._ "Please? I promise I won't do it again, please?? I'll be good!" She whines on the phone and can hear him pondering _. 5, 4, 3…_

"Fine." _1!_ "But it's the last time. You fix your mess and you fix it good. Or you're not working alone anymore." 

"You know I'm not a team player!" 

"That's exactly why." _Asshole_ . "Fix this shit and fast. I'll be watching." _Of course you're._ "Bye." She turns her phone off and smiles, running her plan over her head. _List of things to do: 1 - Get rid of the little piggies. 2 - Get rid of Al. 3 - Get a haircut._

"Uh, Lucy?" She hears Negan calling her out from the kitchen. "Where's the bathroom?" 

"There." Salem points at a door, coming back to the kitchen and grabbing three plates and silverware. "Don't be nosy, I'll know." She warns playfully but she does mean it. _I'll know._

"No promises, doll." He chuckled. "No fucking promises." _Let's see what you got there._ Negan enters and locks the door, the fresh smell of cleanness immediately hits his nose. _Ok, she's tidy._ He opens her cabinets, cleaning products, toilet paper, bath salts, candles, a first aid kit. _Weird... photographers usually don't have this. Especially a complete one like this..._ he closes the cabinet and opens another. Different kinds of painkillers, antibiotics, anti-inflammatories filled the cabinet, as long as beauty products and perfumes, but mostly medicine. _Maybe she's just a hypochondriac._

"You okay in there?" Simon knocks on the door, startling him, making him drop some of her stuff on the sink. _SHIT_! "Food's ready, I'm dying to try it. Come on!" 

"Just a minute. Go for it." He says while putting some of her stuff back, but a little bottle of perfume cracked, there was no way to simply put it back. _Goddamn it, Simon._ He makes a mental note of the brand and spill the rest on the sink, putting the empty bottle on his pocket. _I hope this ain’t one of those expensive kinds,_ he does relieve himself which is what he should’ve done in the first place, washes his hands and opens the door.

“Finally!” Simon teased, Salem already had it placed a plate on his seat, it smelled amazing, she was pouring her some wine. “Can we eat now? Please!”

“Sure...but we have to say graces first.” Both of them immediately drop their forks. “I’m just messing with you...go for it.” She cuts herself a piece, stuffing her mouth, still laughing. “So? Is it good?” 

“It’s fucking delicious.” Simon says between bites, all joking and Salem drinks her wine, raising her brow. “You’re free to go, clear of all charges.” Negan is too busy eating to notice how she was flaring her nostrils, sniffing the room, her face hardening the second she recognized the scent. _I knew he would be fucking nosy._

“Fantastic.” 

“Lucy, thank you so much for your help, and for lunch too.” Simon shakes her hand by the door, his stomach full.

“Sure, don’t worry about it.” She smiles when Negan walks past her. “But can I ask you something? Actually, both of you…” 

“Of course.” 

“Can you keep posted, uh, if you guys catch the killer? It’s just that it’s strange that I was there in the same place someone died.” She lies pretending to be worried. “Just so I can sleep better…”

“Are you afraid of something, doll?” Negan asks, leaning against the door. “You can rest assured that we will catch that son of a bitch, you don’t have to worry about her.” 

“Her?” 

“Yes, I can guarantee you that there was no possible fucking way a man could’ve done the job.” 

“Really?” Lucy holds back her smirk. _Took them long enough_. “That’s interesting...I hope you bring her to justice. Poor girl. How did she die again?” 

“She was choked to death by a fucking coward bitch that didn’t even have the balls.” _Oh...still sensitive about it?_ “She was caught off guard, choked from behind with her own scarf, our captain will give a press conference today so...we’ll see how it goes.”

“Good luck then.” _You’ll need it._ After they leave, she watches them by the window, as if Negan knows she’s watching, he stops and turns around, saluting. _Smug asshole._ Salem simply nods and waves back, closing the curtains, it’s already dark. _I gotta hurry._

“Let’s get to work.” She cleans up the mess on the kitchen, rehearsing on her head, she checks the time and rushes to change her clothes, combing her hair and braiding tightly, while she checks the needed information on her computer system. _Easy like taking candy from a baby_. “Dirty blonde or red?” Salem raises two wigs of shoulder-length hair and decides to stick with the dirty blonde, she puts three pairs of pants and 3 thick hoodies, sunglasses and a beanie. _Ugh, this is like a fucking work out._ Setting a playlist to play on her absence and Walking out from her place through the fire escape, she begins her path, taking a deep breath and changing to a Jersey accent she dials the number from a phone she will destroy on the way.

“Hi, this is Martha from The Horizon Manner, may I speak with...Al please. It’s an emergency.” Salem makes her voice softer but raspier. “Yes, I’ll hold.” 

“Hello?” Al wept. “It’s everything ok?”

“I’m afraid not, sir. You know it’s a procedure for us not to give any other pieces of information on the phone but we need you to come here as soon as possible.”

“Sure...sure. I’ll come right away.” 

“We’ll be waiting for you, sir. Thank you.” Salem hangs the phone, sighing. _Let’s get this shit done._ She arrives at the subway station, avoiding cameras and waits, it takes less than thirty minutes for him to get there. _Finally._ She watches as he buys a ticket, clearly anxious, checking his phone every few seconds. _Here comes the train._

“Finally!” Al loudly sighs, relieved, not knowing the danger ahead, she stands up and stops by his side, standing behind a column, hiding herself from the camera pointed on their direction. 

“Excuse me, can you tell me the time, please?” She asks and he looks down on his phone again. “My bad, Al...It’s really not personal.” 

“What?” Al looks up again and she pushes him on the trails, just in time to get run over by the train that to his misfortune, couldn’t stop in time, the sound of his bones crushing and his flesh tearing are muffled by the screams of the passengers inside the train, who witnessed everything, but weren’t able to see the pusher, Salem was long gone by now, running back home, getting rid of the hoodies with each homeless she met by the alleys, keeping only the pants and wigs, avoiding any possible cameras. She gets home just in time the last song on her playlist plays.

Stripping and showering, she places the leftovers from the lasagna on a container and knocks on her neighbors door.

“Hi Mrs. Swanson! How are you doing?” 

“Oh, hi Lucy!” The old lady puts her glasses on to get a better look. “How are you sweetie?”

“I’m great! I’ve cooked lasagna today, wanna try it?” 

“Sure...sure, come in.” She enters the old lady’s place and waits. ”I was watching the news, have you heard about that poor girl?”

“I did” So unfortunate, may she rest in peace.” Salem helps her to heat the food and come back to the couch. Just in the time to Rick’s press conference, Negan and Simon behind him sporting their best mean faces. “Could you turn up the volume, Mrs. Swanson?”

“If only I could find the remote…” The old lady moves at such a slow pace, balancing the plate in hand until Salem gets tired and grabs the remote from the other chair, turning up the volume, biting her lips to prevent her from giggling at the press conference. 

“This is good, Lucy. I was waiting for my grandson to come back with our dinner but...I guess he forgot.” T _hat little prick, probably smoking with his friends, he thinks he can fool me with that chocolate Axe body spray to mask the, baptized bad, shit he’s been smoking._ “You’re a lifesaver, sweetie.” _Aw....if only she knew._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My bad Al ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ but a killer gotta do what a killer gotta do 
> 
> Thanks for reading guys! Next chapter we'll have a sneaky nosy Salem in Negan's house lol 
> 
> Let me know what else you wanna see in this, I'm just going with flow because this fic originally came from a dream where Negan was a detective hunting me down LOL
> 
> See you soon!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking longer than usual, had a slight block but back on tracks

"Wow...you're so much more prettier than the last one." The man announces when she closes the door, locking it. "What happened to Maddy this time?" He asks when she places her bag on the table. 

"She's indisposed today…" She grabs the handcuffs. "So she sent me instead, is that okay baby?" He nods and yes excited, losing his tie. "Great. Can we-" 

"Same price as always?" He interrupts her grabbing his wallet and she steals from his hand. 

"Actually...I'm an expert on what I do." She grabs a few grands from his wallet, counting then pushes him to bed, straddling him. "So I'm  **really** expensive." 

"How expensive?" He asks unsure of how much she took it and she giggles, cuffing him to the metal headboard. 

"Nothing you can't afford, Mr. Allen." She smiles, pinching his cheek. "What's your safe word?" 

"Maddy usually picks out for me, goddess…" he says already with a massive hard-on, desperate for some relief.  _ Pathetic _ , _ I really need a fucking raise.  _

"What about…" she ponders for a few seconds then laughs. "Regina. Your safe word is Regina." 

"Regina?" The man asks confused while she blindfolds him. "Why Regina?" 

"Because I said so." She says dryly and climbs off bed, grabbing a few punishment tools from her bag. "Shall we begin?" 

\--------------

"Have you eaten today?" Simon asks when Negan arrives on the crime scene, it was early, the sun was shedding its firsts streaks of light, Negan and Simon were working nonstop ever since Al, well, his remainings, were found smashed on the train trails. Negan had an anger fit, their only witness to the Regina's case, gone. Simon said it could've been a robbery gone wrong since his phone was taken right before he got tore apart by the train but Negan didn't believe in this theory. Something was wrong, the timing was off but considering the cameras weren't of any help as well the witnessing passengers, he had no choice but to let it go. For now. "Cause this is some freaky disgusting shit." 

"Just...let get this over with." He was in a bad mood that was lasting over 10 days, ever since Al's death. His constants nightmare weren't helping him either. "Who's the victim?" 

"Paul Allen." Simon says reading the file and Negan's brows raise in surprise. "Yep, that's the one. 58 years, divorced, 3 kids." 

"Loaded as fuck…" Negan says crouching to get a closer look at his watch. "What the hell he was doing in this dumpster excuse of a motel?" 

"Well...apparently, Mr. Allen had hidden interests other than releasing criminals from jail." Negan and Simon actually met with Paul a few times over the years, more than once Paul managed to release people they struggled to lock up. _ He was an utter asshole but no one deserves to die like this.  _ "From what we heard from Maddy-" 

"Maddy?" 

"Yeah, his regular if you know what I mean." Simon rolls his eyes and Negan nods, waiting for the rest. "So, from what we heard, he had a degradation/choking kink for a while now." 

"Shit…" Negan says looking at his state, whips marks, bruises, small cuts. "What else?" 

"Maddy said she got a call from his secretary, rescheduling their usual appointment, which was weird considering he always called himself." 

"So it was something planned." 

"Yes, we're checking her call record for the number, see if we get anything." Simon seems a little uneased and Negan notices. 

"Spill it." 

"Huh?" 

"Whatever is the shit you're holding back...just fucking say it." 

"Okay, don't freak out, it could be just a coincidence but I think you need to know..." Simon says in a calming tone, instantly annoying Negan. "But the guy on the room next to his, said he heard Paul scream a name several times before everything went quiet." 

"...what? You're waiting fucking drumrolls? What is it?" 

"He said that Paul screamed Regina...and Maddy told me that the woman who claimed to be Paul's secretary said her name was also Regina." Negan nods, his jaw clenched. "But it could be just a coincidence, man. There's no need to throw a-" Negan begins to scream and furiously curse like a sailor, kicking the cabinet nonstop. "... tantrum." 

\----------------

"Ugh...you should've seen those pair of lungs, such a screamer that one...I think I might go deaf." Salem groans, scratching her ear and checking her bruises, Paul struggled and was definitely a fighter, his knee managed to knock her off him once and kick her away, making her hitting her hip on the edge of the bed, infuriating her to the point she choked him over and over again, releasing him once, giving him hope, just to proceed her torture, until he went limp, so she went ahead and finished the job. "I think I might go deaf." She turns to face Russo, who was sitting on her bed, inspecting the pictures. "So? Did I get an A, Professor?" 

"How did you do it?" He asks, still looking at the pictures. "He's so... red."

"Yeah, that was before I choked him with his tie." Salem sits behind him, tying her robe tighter around her waist, glancing over his shoulder, earning a suspicious look in return. "What? He had already paid me and I was already there so…" she says innocently. "Besides, you never said I couldn't have any fun with it…"

"That's literally what I tell you every single time before a job." Russo sighs. "I had a job for you but I don't know if you're fit for it." 

"I was joking, Billy!" She pulls the file out of his hands. "What is it? Tell me is somewhere else, I'm so bored here." 

"No." 

"No...no it's not somewhere else or no I'm not getting the job?" 

"Both." He tries to get up from her bed and she pulls him back in. 

"Now you're just being mean…" Salem squeezes and massages his shoulders. "What's wrong?" 

"You remember that detective with that weird name? Nagan?" 

"Negan." She corrects him. "But yeah...what about him?"

"Well...I heard he's not convinced that Al's death was unrelated to Regina's."  _ Oh crap. _

"Is that so?"  _ I wonder why.  _ "And?" 

"And he's snooping around where he shouldn't snoop around." 

"And what? You want me to kill him?" Salem already gets excited about the possibilities. 

"NO!" Russo quickly eliminates this idea, knowing the mess that the death of a police officer always causes. "I want you to watch him." 

"I thought you said no stalking though…" Salem continues her massage, chuckling. "Don't tell me you're scared of him." 

"Salem, you have to stop underestimating people." He stands with great effort, fixing his clothes. "Think you can handle it? Just watch him, play nice, make sure he's not after you. Don't forget you're still shaking up about poor Al's death." 

"Yes of course it was such a huge loss, may God bless his soul." Salem rolls on the bed and pouts dramatically. "And even if he was after me, what about it? It's not like I'm afraid of-" her phone begins to ring and Russo takes it as a cue to leave. 

"Hello?" She sings on the phone, in a good mood with a task she was already excited about. 

"Hey, Lucy?" 

"Yeah this is she." 

"It's Simon." She bites her lips to prevent herself from laughing out loud. 

"Who?" Salem decides to tease him. 

"It's Detective Simon, we met a few days ago, you cooked me lasagna." 

"Oh, Detective hi. What do I owe the pleasure?" 

"Actually, I was calling to check up on you, I'm sure you heard about Al…" 

"Yes, I heard. Horrible, horrible thing, may he rest in peace." She cracks her voice and sits by her hairdresser, staring her reflection, a fresh haircut giving her extra confidence.  _ Beautiful _ . "But I'm fine, as fine someone can be after such news. Thank you for calling." 

"Sure...no problem." She can tell he wants to say something else. 

"...it's that all, detective?" 

"Uh...there's something I want to tell you but I don't want you to take as an offense."  _ Here we go. _ "There's a women self-defense class that our squad is setting up and-"  _ Lord bear me patience _ . "and I was wondering if you would like to try it, this city is getting dangerous by the-"

"Sure, sounds fun!" Salem cuts him off, already impatient. "When?" 

"Tonight actually." 

"Tonight...hm." She pretends to think about it. 

"Tonight…" he takes a deep breath. "Yeah, Negan and I are in charge of the class so…". 

  
"Tonight is good. Text me the address. See you there." Chuckling and picking an appropriate outfit, she takes a painkiller for her back pain and runs a steaming hot bath. _ I got a little time to kill. _ Her phone buzzes and it's Simon, a text with the address.  _ And maybe something else _ .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's double chapter day


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second chapter of the day

"Man I swear to God, I'll fucking kill you one of these days." Negan says as they changed in the locker room. "I told you I didn't want to take part in any of this shit." 

"Come on, it's going to be fun! A room full of women dying to learn how to defend themselves." 

"You do realize how fucking creepy that sounds right?" Negan bangs the locker door, putting a white shirt with their precinct logo on it. "Why are we the ones doing this anyways?" 

"Rick's orders while we wait for the forensics to label Allen crime scene." Simon sprays some cologne and fixes his hair, which doesn't go unnoticed by Negan. 

"What the hell are you doing? Don't tell me you're expecting to get some pussy today." He laughs out loud, throwing his head back. "God you're fucking weird." 

"You'll thank me later." Simon closes his locker, checking his watch. "Come on, class in session." 

Simon scan the room, there were about 10-15 women from different ages, all chatting and enjoying the snacks available, he seemed disappointed for a second. 

"What?" Negan asks noticing how some of the older women were eating him with his eyes, like if he was a piece of meat, a huge stroke on his already filled ego.  _ Maybe this wasn't so bad after all.  _ "So? Are we doing this or what?"

"Yeah yeah…" he goes to the middle of the couched floor, usually used for their training, he could spot some of his co-workers standing there by the window, watching for a laugh. Simon clears his throat and claps his hands. "Evening ladies! Gather around!" A few giggles and whisperers took the room. "My name is Simon, that's Negan. We both are detectives here in this precinct and we are more than pleased to have you all this night." Negan rolls his eyes at his friend opening line. "So, any of you have a background-" the double door is open with a loud squeak, getting the room's attention. 

"Fuck...sorry." Salem/Lucy walks into the room, her eyes quickly understanding that she was interrupting. "Sorry, I'm late." She waves at Simon, who had the biggest shit-eating grin on his face, Negan turning around to look at him, raising his brows comically. 

"That's literally like, so rude." A blonde girl in pigtails rolls her eyes and Salem just sighs ignoring her, removing her leather jacket, hanging alongside everyone else, changing her ankle boots to training sneakers. 

"So, as I was saying…" Simon continues his introduction, asking a few questions from time to time, getting to know the audience. 

"You know there's a fee to pay if you're late don't you?" Negan says, standing behind her. "Care to explain it, young lady?" 

"I'm sorry, Officer." She chuckles, tying her shoelaces. "Would you believe if I say I overslept?" 

"Nope." He says popping his lips. 

"Smart man." Salem stands, feeling the blonde girls eyes burning through her. "Better go back to your spot, I don't want the uniform chaser over there thinking I'm the teacher's pet." 

"You know I can hear you, right?" The blonde girl, Amber scoffs crossing her arms like a child and Salem does the same, mocking her tone. 

"You know I don't care, right?" Before Negan can say anything he hears Simon clapping again. 

"Everyone hot and ready?" He says laughing earning a few woos of the audience. "Okay, let's start with the basics then. The most vulnerable spots are the eyes, nose, throat, chest, knees, and groin." Simon calls Negan to his side, Salem joins the women, sitting on the last line, watching as she stretched and pulled all of her hair into a ponytail. "It doesn’t matter how big or heavy your attacker is because you can beat anyone if you know where the most vulnerable spots are." Then he proceeds to teach the class how to use daily objects as weapons, how to hit, punch and kick. Hammer strike, groin kicks, heel palm and elbows strikes and all that. 

Being the impatient person she was, in her mind, this was an absolute waste of time to her, considering she was trained and used to this ever since she can remember it. It's not like she considered herself the greatest fighter that ever lived but she knew if someone were to fight her, they were in for big trouble.  _ Yeah but handcuffed Paul knocked your bruised ass off so...s _ he suddenly reminds herself. _ Oh shut up, that was a one-time thing. Fuck off.  _

"Do we get any volunteers?" Negan's deep voice suddenly pulls her out of the private conversation. "Anyone with a possible background in self-defense?" He says hopeful so he wouldn't have to use one of the old women raising their hands, Salem remains seated, her back pain reminding her to keep it down.  _ Russo told me to watch not to participate.  _ "Lucy?"  _ Oh crap.  _

"Yeah…?" She says in a tone that clearly indicated she wasn't feeling like being the volunteer. 

"Would you be a doll and be our volunteer tonight?" Negan asks smiling, earning an eye roll from the blonde girl. 

"...sure. Why not?" She mentally curses him and all of his previous generations. "FYI, hands down, usually means no, asshole." Salem whispers while she walks past him, standing by Simon's side. 

"So, now that you all got the basics, today we are going to teach you, ladies, how to escape three holds. A chokehold, a bear hug, and a pin hold, those usually are the most common ones. Maybe next week we can try different ones."  _ Fuck, next week? _ Simon taps Negan's shoulders. "Now, people usually think that they are too weak to get out of a pin, or that their assailant is too heavy. This is not true. There are a couple of ways to get your opponent far enough off of you so that you can strike him in his vulnerable areas." 

Negan gets behind Salem, putting his hands on her shoulders. "Tell me if I'm going too hard on you, will you?" He says smugly, putting his arm around her neck, locking in a soft hold while Simon continues to explain how the moves are going to happen. "You smell nice…" he adds sniffing her scent. 

"Oh, thanks. Had to replace my broken missing perfume somehow." She says playfully, noticing how he goes quietly embarrassed, he tried to find the perfume he broke a few days ago but it was impossible to find online and he didn't have the time to personally went to a store. "I told you I would know if you were nosy." Simon taps him again and Negan squeezes her harder. 

"Great, now Lucy, use what I just said to escape this-" before Simon can finish his sentence, Salem grabs Negan's arms, separating her legs and bending her knees, planting her feet steady and firm on the ground, leaning forward out of the sudden, flipping Negan over, making him fall hard on his back. "Holy shit!" 

"Like this?" She asks pretending to be new to this, doing her best to hold her laugh at Negan's surprised face, she was known to underestimate people usually but he really wasn't expecting that from her. "Did I got it right?" 

"That's was actually perfect! Good job!" Simon congratulates her while she reaches out her hand, helping Negan to stand up. 

"Tell me if I'm going to hard on you, will you?" Salem jokes pulling him up, fixing her hair. 

"Now onto the second hold." Simon asks her to lay on the ground and proceeds to talk about the movements. "On this one, you probably would be pinned to the ground, being held by your wrists." 

"Sounds like a party." Salem jokes laying down, getting a few laughs from the older women. 

Negan kneels down and places himself between her legs, roughly pulling her closer, pinning her down by her wrists. "Where did you learned that?" He asks still surprised. 

"Here...duh." she jokes as he squeezes her wrists harder at her teasing. "Ready?"

"So go ahead Lucy." Simon taps Negan shoulders and he leans closer, mimicking how an attacker would do. Salem chuckles when she does the move she did a thousand times by now, locking her leg behind his, grabbing his arm and holding it tight and bucking her hips up, rolling to the side, now being the one on top. "Great job, great job! She's kicking your ass today huh Negan?!" He laughs and the rest of the women joins him. "The next pin-" 

"Actually, would you mind using another volunteer, Simon?" Salem asks standing and pulling her shirt down, just in time to Negan catch a glance of her deep bruising on her hips. "I like to watch too." 

"Sure...but why-"

"Let her rest, Simon. I need a break too. Dave would you?" He signs to Dave and takes his place. 

Salem is by the food table on the back, drinking water and grabbing some chips. "Was I too rough on you?" She asks playfully, swallowing. 

"No not all, I'm used to." He opens a bottle of water too and chugs. "Look, about your perfume…" 

"Yeah I could smell on you the second you sat by the table." She smirks at his embarrassed face. "It's okay, I ordered another." 

"How? I mean, I couldn't find it online anywhere…" Negan says confused and she blinks once then shrugs, waving it off. "Have you put some ice on it?" 

"Huh?" 

"On your hip." He points at her. "Don't take as offense doll but that's some nasty bruising you got there." 

"I took care of it." Salem says on the defensive and he notices. 

"What happened? Fell off the bath on your ass?" Negan laughs and continues to try and guess before she interrupts him. 

"None of the above. I'm just used to playing rough...just like you, baby." Salem pats on his chest after that double meaning statement and sits back on her seat, pulling her shirt down, just watching carefully the class, she could feel his eyes on her back from time to time _. I knew I should've put on that fucking bodysuit, ugh.  _

"That's it for the night ladies!" Simon ends the class pulling a round of applause. "Sign up for next week class on that list on the back. Thanks for coming!" Some of the women stand behind, pampering their instructors, Salem goes to where her stuff was laying and quickly changes her shoes, just in time for her phone to buzz ringing. Unknown number.  _ Fuck _ . 

"Excuse me?!" The blonde girl pushes her way in, bumping purposely on her shoulder. "Thank you." Salem grips her phone tightly in her hand, holding her back her urge to land a hard punch on her pretty little nose. "What? Did you miss something on my face or what?" 

"Lucy!" Simon approaches, laying a hand on her back. "Glad you could make it."

"I wouldn't miss it." Salem licks her lips, her cold eyes still on Amber while she put her jacket on. "It was great, thank you." Her phone buzzes again. "Sorry, gotta take this." She grabs her stuff and walks out. 

"What a bitch." Amber says when she's sure she's out of ear reach, Negan furrowing his brows at her comment. "So, what are you two handsome devil's doing after this?" 

"I...uh." Simon walks out after Salem, ignoring Amber. 

"So…"

"Let's go then." Negan smirks at the blonde, putting his coat on and walking outside too, Salem is on her phone way across the street, smoking a cigarette and pinching her nose bridge, a distress aura around her.  _ What's bothering her so much?  _

"Hey Simon, you staying here or what?" He calls out, Simon glances at him for a second, Salem waves and points at her phone, signaling for him to go, this would take a while. 

"Yeah...yeah. I'm coming." Simon waves back and follows them to the bar direction, when he turns around for one last look, Salem is already walking the other way, head low, phone still in-ear.  _ I wonder who she's talking to. _

"What do you mean Al was stalking me?" She sneers to Russo, who laughed at her reaction. Salem wanted to curse the living hell out of him but she owed him one.  _ Next fucking time _ . "I told you staying here that fucking long would bring me troubles." 

"And that's not the best part." He chuckles one last time. "The best part is the pictures he took." 

"...if it's nudity-" Salem shrugs off. 

"You wish!" Russo sighs. "I have the pictures, I'll wait for you." 

"Okay, I'll be there in 15 minutes." 

"Okay, take your sweet ass time-" Russo stops talking suddenly. "Shit." 

"What is it?" Salem asks crossing the street, flipping out to a honking car. "Russo spill it what is it goddamn it?" 

"There's pictures of you...in other places too." 

"What do you mean in other places?" She questions, trying to put sense to what he was saying. "Like, outside, inside?" 

"No...like Vegas." Salem hears him flipping through photos. "Atlanta, hell, he even has Washington." 

"That's impossible, Al never left this shit hole, he was a good momma's boy. Besides, he had one day off only, how the hell could he stay following me around the country?!" She used to think that but now she wasn't so sure.

"He didn't. But someone else did." Russo takes a deep breath. "Do you understand what this means?" He asks concerned. "Salem, they were building a portfolio of you. Why?" 

"Someone hired him just for this short while...was just creepy-ass horniness or its job-related?!" She says stuck inside her mind, theories fogging all around, her eyes low on the ground before bursting into a nervous laugh. "Someone else is following me, Russo, and I gotta say. Your job it's to cover my back, and you're really doing a sloppy ass job. But don't worry, I won't tell your boss, I owe you one remember?! We'll fix this shit my fucking way...and I know just the right detective to ask for help." 

"Are you insane? Salem, this will never work!" 

"Think about it, it's two birds with one fucking stone! If I can convince Negan to dig in this off records, his focus will shift." She already was running her plan inside her head while she speaks. 

"What if he founds out the truth?" He seems to ponder the idea, Salem was right, his job was to cover for her and he fucked up. Bad. "What if he sees right through your helpless girl facade?" His scoffs, not wanting to admit it could actually work. It was risky but could work, the two couldn't ask anyone else for help and it's not like Salem could (and would) risk her own skin to dig in something it wasn't even her job for starters. "Then what?" 

"Then it's one bird, one gravestone." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, thanks for reading. 
> 
> Next chapter Salem and Negan goes on a car ride together hehe 
> 
> Don't forget to leave a comment (ideas and suggestions too, a bitch is thirsty here lol) 
> 
> See you soon


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, quick chapter. I'll post another tomorrow, still editing 
> 
> Sorry for taking longer than usual, I wasn't feeling like doing anything. Trying to get motivated again
> 
> Anyways 
> 
> Enjoy

"How was the whole serving soup shit?" Russo jokes as she walks into her apartment, already stripping off her clothes to jump straight into the shower. "That bad huh?" 

"Shut up." Salem turns the shower on, setting up to the highest temperature possible, relaxing her muscles. "I got the perfect alibi if needed so it's worth it right?! 

"I made it look like a robbery, they will probably check it out in the morning. The right pictures are back in place, I'm sure they'll call you soon." He leans against the door. "Are you sure this going to work?" 

"Yeah...yeah...100%." Salem says as she shampoo's her hair. "85% but that's still a lot." 

"You know we're fucked if this doesn't work don't you?" 

"Lighten up, Billy! Everything's going to be just fine and we'll be back in Prague in a split second." 

"You know what? Sometimes I think if things were done your way only, everything would be so much easier." Russo says looking at his reflection on her steamed mirror. 

"Really?" Salem pops her head off, surprised. 

"Fuck no. Finish your shower, I'm hungry." 

"...you're absolutely no fun…" 

\-------------

"What is it?" Negan answered his phone, Amber's arms around his waist, faking asleep. "I'll be right there." He groans, running his hand through his hair. "Blondie, get up. Time to go." 

"Why?? It's so earlier, and you promised breakfast!" Amber whines, not moving. 

"Stop bitching, I ain't promised you shit but a good fucking time and a goddamn good time you got. Time to go." Negan gets up and tosses her clothes, getting dressed at the same time. "Amber I mean it, just because I fucked you for a few days in a row it doesn't mean I owe you shit." 

"You're such a fucking asshole you know that don't you?!" She gets up, getting dressed and he completely ignores her. "Hellooo I'm talking to you!" 

"Look I really don't have the time now, I'll call you. Now go." 

"Fucking prick." Amber bangs the door and he sighs, brushing his teeth, staring at his reflection on the mirror. _ Fucking prick. _

"Morning, sunshine!" Simon hands him a cup of coffee as he enters the building. "Didn't sleep well?" 

"Cut the crap Simon, you said this was about Al. What is it?" He had a headache for days now, running over the cases, trying to find a missing spot, something. "Holy shit." 

"I know." The apartment was a complete mess, considering that his only living relative was his old and sick mother, the landlord hadn't removed his stuff yet. There was broken glass e clothes everywhere. "The old lady from downstairs called the police last night, said she heard weird noises upstairs." 

"That's fucked up...but why are we here? I get it, Al was our witness but this seems to be a robbery." 

"That's what I thought until I went to his bedroom. Ready?" 

"Simon how many times do I have to tell you-" Negan gets interrupted mid-way when he enters the mess of a bedroom. "Holy. Fucking. Shit." 

"...so-" 

"Call her. Now." 

"Right away, partner." 

As Salem read a book at her home, without a care in the world, her phone began to buzz, getting her attention. "Yeah?" She picks up still reading. "Oh...sure. Can you meet me somewhere else? I kinda have a full day so...ok see you there." Closing her book with a smile, she takes her time getting ready, knowing they won't be there soon.  _ Showtime, Lucy.  _

"Sorry, I'm late. This stuff is kinda heavy." She says putting her bag filled with tools for her photographer gig. "What can I do for you today, detectives?" 

"Well, Lucy thanks for coming. Can I get you anything?" Simon asks, always the charmer. "What happened the other day, you-" 

"We need to talk about this." Negan interrupts him and places a file on the table, opening, filled with the pictures Russo had planted back in Al's place. "Can you give us an explanation, doll?" 

"...what-" She fakes surprise, grabbing each one of the pictures, inspecting. "Where did you get this?" 

"I thought you said you weren't close to Al." Negan was suspicious. 

"And I wasn't...wait, now it's my fault he was... stalking me??!" Salem pretends to be offended and Simon steps in. "I don't get it." 

"No, no, what Negan is trying to say is that it's strange, someone broke in Al's place. Well, I'll explain it." He then proceeded to slowly explain it from the beginning, wandering the story, getting easily distracted. "Basically we need to know if you were aware of this-"

"Of course I wasn't!" She quickly added. "Look, I'm sorry, I really wish I could help you guys but what more can I do? Al's dead, it's not like we can ask him why he was sneaking around, taking pictures of me." Negan's gaze still was filled with suspicion. "Not to be mean or anything, but isn't this shit like, your job, detective? It seems like something's bothering you and you're taking out on me." 

"I'll... I'll get a coffee. Coffee, coffee anyone?" Simon tries to ease the mood. 

"Actually, yes. I'll take one. Black please." Salem says smiling at him, Negan just nods a no. "What's wrong, Negan? Still mad I dropped you on that class?" He chuckles at her remark. 

"Actually-" Negan notices someone walking in the coffee place, his hand covered by a jacket, they locked eyes and that seemed to have triggered the stranger, he barely had time to react before he reached out to his gun. "Shit, get down!" He jumps over Salem, pushing her to the ground, covering her head as the man fired up against them. 

"Drop your weapon!" He heard Simon shouting and shooting amidst the mess. "Drop your fucking weapon now!" 

"You okay?" Negan asks still caging Salem in place, hands on her face, his eyes looking for any wounds. "Are you hurt?" 

"Get off me!" She tries to push him away but gunshots stop them in place. 

"Someone call an ambulance!" A civilian screams and Negan gets, gun in hand, ready to jump in but both the unknown shooter and Simon are already fallen wounded on the ground. 

"Shit, Simon! Stay with me, you're ok. It's just a fucking scratch ok?!" He presses the wound as Salem calls an ambulance, her eyes on the man on the floor. "Lucy! Lucy, you okay?" 

"Yeah...yes I'm ok." The ambulance doesn't take long to get there, Simon and the shooter are rushed to the hospital, Negan right behind driving like the mad man he was, bloody hands gripping tightly on the steering wheel.

"You got some explaining to do, doll." He suddenly says, his tone harsh and cold. 

"Me?" Salem was trying to piece together the shooting on her head.  _ What the hell was that?  _ "What the hell are you talking about?" Negan pulls the parking break, parking at the hospital. 

"He wasn't after me. That fucking dipshit was after you. And you're going to tell me why. Right here, right the fuck now." 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is coming tomorrow. There's a car trip and a cliche lol 
> 
> Thanks for reading. 
> 
> Leave a comment or ideas for this if possible
> 
> See you soon 👀


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyy! This is a longer chapter, the next one it's almost done, I'll try to post it on the weekend.

"Where's he?" Negan rushes into the hospital, dragging Salem by the hand. "Where's Simon?" He asks a nurse, who, unsuccessfully tries to calm him down. 

"You can't come in now!" She says after checking his situation and explaining they were removing the bullet. 

"I want to know the second that motherfucking shooter wakes up! Keep him handcuffed!" He orders and sits down, no sign of Salem anymore, well, Lucy. "For fucks sake, have you seen the girl I came here with???" Negan asks around before rushing after her. 

"Shit…" 

"Hey, where were you?" She appears with two cups of coffee in hand. "I went grab this for you and-" he gets up slapping the coffee from her hand, pushing her to an empty room. 

"Enough of you fucking games!" 

"Not much of a coffee kind of guy, are you huh?! All you had to do was say so, geez." She jokes trying to escape his grip, noticing how close he was to her, how rough and angry he was at the moment.  _ That's kinda hot _ . "Simon's going to be fine okay? You have nothing to worry about." 

"Don't I?? Don't I? My partner got fucking shot! A bullet that was meant for you and you have the fucking nerve to tell me I have nothing to worry about?" 

"...Simon's a nice guy." 

"And?" 

"And...that's it. What do you want me to do?" 

"You can start explaining why the hell that fucker was trying to kill you!" 

"How the hell am I supposed to know??!"  _ Old foe? New foe? _

"That's it, I'm taking you to the station. Rick will deal with you."  _ Shit _ . 

"Wait!" She says dropping the remaining cup, splashing all over Negan, making up a story on the spot. "I might've taken...some pictures I shouldn't have." 

"What do you mean?" 

"I didn't know at the time, it was just some weird art exhibition at some strange gallery... I didn't think it would cause that much havoc." 

"What strange gallery?" He bites the bait and Salem feeds him some details, all twisted of course, when she finishes telling him her half fake half-true story, he's much calmer, just more stressed, like if he was dealing with a stubborn child. "You're telling me that days before Ronald Rowe was brutally murdered, you went to an exhibit at his gallery, in Atlanta and took some pictures?" 

"Yep." 

"And then days later, before he died, you got a letter saying you had to hand it over all the footage and photos from that night? Or else?" 

"Yep." 

"You didn't think this was something worth mentioning to the police?" Negan sighs annoyed. "Especially after his daughter was murdered days later...in a party yourself attend to? You do realize the killer could've killed you too? Right there?! Do you realize how stupid you were??" 

"I mean...when you say it like that." She ponders for a second. " To be fair, I first thought it was about some married straight not really straight kind of guy...but I would never out someone so…" 

"Lucy...MY PARTNER ALMOST GOT FUCKING KILLED OVER... I can't believe you." 

"I'm sorry, ok?! I didn't think it was like, for realsies...I even threw away the letter the same day I got it so…" Negan groans, getting his phone to dial Rick. "Am I in danger?" 

"If you haven't figured it out, yeah sweetheart." 

"I didn't have the time to grab my stuff from the coffee place, the memory card probably still there." 

"Don't worry, it's isolated by the police. You'll get your shit back." 

"Ok cool…" Salem glances down. "Can I be excused to clean the mess YOU did or-" 

"Just go, I'll wait by the door." He sits down waiting for Rick to answer his phone. "Hurry, I don't want you taking longer than necessary. You just became a key witness to our case."  _ Perfect _ . She enters the bathroom, immediately texting Russo about what had just happened and for him to find a way or someone to grab her camera, to buy her time. 

**On it.**

**Be careful.**

_ If he wasn't that much of a snob self-absorbed jerk, he would actually be a great boyfriend. _ Salem strips off her shirt and cleans herself and the fabric the best she can, checking herself in the mirror in the meantime, without any warning, Negan barges in the bathroom. 

"Uhh, can I help you?" She asks not bothering to cover herself, still looking through the mirror. 

"You're taking too damn long and the last time I left someone too long in the bathroom, that person died on my watch. I'm not letting happening again." He seems genuinely concerned and she almost feels bad for him, but then she remembers the Pepto Bismol joke and it goes away quickly as it came. "What's so goddamn funny?" 

"Nothing... it's just...you have coffee all over your shirt too. But the blood kinda covers up so you're good." She looks straight to his eyes on the mirror, noticing how he was doing his best not to stare her reflection on the mirror, his eyes on her back only. "Just gotta dry this and I'm good." 

"I just remembered...you never told me where you got that bruising. It's pretty much gone now." 

"Oh, it's nothing…" 

"You're lying, tell me." He says in a commanding tone. "How did exactly happened?" 

"Why you're so curious, detective?" She leans against the wall, her shirt under the drying hand's machine, his eyes struggling to keep at eye level. Salem loved everything that shines so her neck was adorned with a mix of various lengths of necklaces, all golden with different patterns and pendants, creating a beautiful contrast with her warm skin tone...her burgundy lacy bra also drawn attention to her breasts too, obviously, and she very much knew that. "I'll tell you when you get me another coffee. A decent one, not the hospital kind." 

"It's a fucking deal then." He washes his hands, his perfect smile creeping in. "Get dressed, you're already distracting enough with clothes on…" Salem chuckles and puts on her shirt, cringing her nose at the coffee stain. "Better." 

"Who's lying now?" She pats his shoulder and waits outside, planning how the hell would she discard the shooter before he opened his fucking mouth. _ With him on my back, this just got harder.  _

"Detective?" A doctor walks down the hall and calls him out. "Simon's awake, he wants to see you." 

"I'll wait here." Salem quickly adds and he immediately disagrees. 

"No, you're coming with me. Told you, not on my fucking watch."  _ That's just fucking great isn't it?!  _ "Come on, kitten. Let's go." 

"Shouldn't I...I mean, he saved me. Can I at least get him something in the cafeteria?" 

"No-" 

"Come on, there are cops everywhere, I'll be fine. Please?" She gives him her greatest puppy eyes. "You kinda owe me." 

"Fine, fine...fuck. Go. If you're not back in 5 minutes, I'm dragging you across this place, you hear me?" 

"Loud and clear, boss!" She winks and goes to the cafeteria direction, feeling his eyes on her back still. _ Goddamn it, how the hell am I'm going to do this? _ Salem walks around the hospital, stealing some medicine from random carts from too busy to notice nurses. She ends up picking up a balloon, a big box of chocolate and an even bigger, way over the top teddy bear, sits down till she hears a young-looking nurse talking about how scared she was to enter the shooter room to another even younger-looking nurse.  _ Holy shit, I wouldn't want to be in the hands of these inexperienced kids _ . Then it suddenly clicks. _ OF COURSE, I WOULD!  _

"Hey!" She calls out the two nurses, faking a confused yet friendly expression. "Can you two tell me where the maternity section is? I'm supposed to meet a friend but I kinda got lost." Salem stands in a place where the balloon covered perfectly the camera pointed at them in the hall. "I think is over there but-" she pretends to lose balance and drops the chocolate box on the floor. 

"Oh my god, let me help you!" Both nurses kneel down to pick the scattered chocolate, not noticing how she quickly changed the medicine they supposed to give her an unknown shooter.  _ This probably won't kill him but this will at least give me more time.  _ "There you go but it's best for you to throw this away since it fell on the floor." 

"You're absolutely right. Thank you!" Salem smiles and tosses it at the nearest trash can, leaving them to it and walking towards Simon's room, just down the hall.  _ That's so stupid, leaving them so fucking close _ . "Thanks for your help, I'll find it on my own." 

"That was so random...right?" The nurse shrugs and off she goes to her patient. 

"Knock knock, can I come in?" She pops her head on his room, they immediately stop talking, Negan's head lifts up and his eyes roll at the size of the teddy bear. "How are you feeling?" She ties the balloon at the end of the bed and places the teddy bear right next to Negan, who face was twisted in a grumpy expression. "Don't be jealous, Negan. You're not the one who got shot." 

"What? I'm not jealous-" 

"Thanks Lucy, that's so nice of you." Simon coughs interrupting his friend, chatting with Salem, ignoring him for a few minutes until Rick knocked on the door, calling him outside. 

"Who's that?" 

"Simon was fucking shot and the first thing you ask me is who's that?" 

"Look, I'm sorry, he's going to be fine... but a civilian really shouldn't be near him right now." 

"But-" Negan was planning on telling him what she had told him earlier but he knew if he did, Rick would hand it over to another in the precinct, that he would say he was too close. Fuck no, I'm dealing with this shit myself. "You know what...you're fucking right. I'll fix it right away, boss." He walks back into the room, calling her to the side. 

"I need you to wait outside, in that room from earlier. I'll come for you in 5 minutes." 

"Why?" 

"Just... stop arguing, it's for your own good. Do as I fucking say, goddamn it." 

"...fine. Just let me kiss Simon goodbye-" he grabs her arm before she can reach away from him, a scowl in his face, keeping her in place, his jaw clenched. "Okay...got it. 5 minutes." She pulls her arm away and waves a bye to Simon. "Bye Simon, I'll come back another time. Get well soon!" 

"Lucy, go." Negan orders, pushing her away slightly. "5 minutes." He adds and she nods smiling. 

"5 minutes."  _ Let's see how long it takes for the switched medicine takes to work.  _ Salem waits on that room, updating Russo, waiting for his response on the camera situation. 

"What took you so goddamn long?" She asks when Negan burst the door open, dragging her outside. "What's happening???" 

"We need to go." He simply says with a disturbed face. "It's too much of a fucking coincidence, we are not taking any chances." 

"What the hell are you talking about???" She asks pulling away her arm only to be grabbed and dragged again. "Negan what the fuck is going on?" 

"The shooter just had a heart attack." 

"What??"  _ Oh golly gee shucks, I wonder how that happened _ . 

"Heart attack, his heart stopped." He says it like she's stupid and this makes her blood boil. 

"But he was shot…" 

"I know. I'm not buying it. Get in." He opens the car door and she doesn't move. "Get in or I'm tying you down with the seatbelt."

"Wouldn't you like that?" She teases and sits down on the passenger seat, pleased with herself.  _ Still fucking got it. _

\--------------------

"You have to be fucking kidding me." He flips a table out of anger. "HOW COULD YOU LOSE THE HUGE FUCKING BAG THAT WAS HERE?" 

"I'm sorry sir, a bunch of people came in curious, it was hard to keep everything in check. We'll get it back!" The rookie, Kyle gets desperate. Negan himself was scary himself, him angry was a totally different story. "I'm sorry sir!" 

"Where's my stuff?" Salem comes in, glancing around the room, Kyle takes this as a chance to sneak out. "So?" 

"... we'll get it back, doll." Negan sighs annoyed. 

"What do you mean you'll get back? Don't tell me you fucking lost it…"  _ Love you, Russo. _ "NEGAN! THAT'S LITERALLY MY WORK, WHAT THE HELL?" 

"CALM DOWN, I SAID WE'LL GET IT BACK!" He groans back, walking towards the car. "You're coming or what?" 

"Funny, you say it like I actually have a fucking choice." She bangs the door, faking annoyance. "Where we going now?" 

"Home. I need to get a few things."  _ This is going to be fun. _

\----------------

"So this is where you live?!" Salem asks scanning his place.  _ Just as I imagined.  _ "What are you doing here again?" 

"I'll spend the night at the hospital with Simon, just need to grab some shit. Feel free to sit down…just don't touch anything." 

"Who's this?" She asks holding a portrait of him with a woman. "I didn't know you were married…"  _ Actually I did but you know... appearances.  _

"Give me that." He roughly grabs out of her hand, stuffing to a drawer. "I told you not to fucking touch anything." 

"I remember telling you the same thing yet I ended up with one missing perfume. Funny how that works huh?!" She sits down on his couch crossing her legs. "So...as you spend the night playing babysitter to dear old Simon, what the hell am I expected to do?!"

"I'll ask Rick for a patrol, they'll stay outside your house tonight."  _ Great just fucking great _ . "I'm sorry is there a problem with that?" He asks suspiciously noticing how her face turned into a scowl. "You don't happen to have an issue with the police outside your door, do you, kitten?" 

"Of course not...I just had other plans tonight." _ Like finishing the job from earlier. _

"I'm sure you'll find a way to entertain yourself, doll... indoors. I got everything I need, let's go." 

"What about my camera?" 

"I'm on it. Come on, I'll drop you off." 

After Negan dropped her off, he rushed back to the hospital to be with Simon as the police gathered the needed proofs, the shooter was still unconscious and Negan couldn't wait to get his hands on him, to squeeze out the truth himself. 

"How you're holding?" He asked Simon as he ate dinner.  _ Disgusting shit.  _

"Had worse hangovers." Simon joked laughing and immediately regretting it as the bullet wound stung. "Just can't wait to get out of here." 

"You'll be out soon, you're a tough motherfucker." Negan laughed grabbing his pudding. "As soon as that piece of shit wakes up, I'm beating the truth out of him." 

"You really think he was after Lucy? I mean...how can we be sure of her story anyway?" Simon suddenly gets serious and Negan's brows furrowed in confusion. 

"Since when you doubt anything she says? Two seconds ago you were pretty much drooling like a horny ass teenager over her." 

"Yeah...can I get real for a second?" He glances at the door and Negan nods. "I might be wrong and shit but...I can swear that when I was down, bleeding like a pig and you asked her if she was okay…" Simon licks his lips deep in thought. "...I swear I saw her glance at his gun and roll her eyes, as if she has seen this kind of shit before, as if that was nothing but a typical day at the office. You feel me?" 

"So what you're saying?! Maybe she grew up with this kind of shit, I don't know." 

"... now who's the horny ass teenager huh?" Simon chuckles darkly and Negan slaps him playfully. "I'm serious man... I've seen people, especially women, witnessing this kind of shit before and never, and I mean never, any of them had the expression she had on today." 

Negan gets unusually quiet, immersed in thoughts till he sees a nurse walking by their room, pushing a cart, humming a song he swear he knew but couldn't remember it, she stops to check the information on the clipboard by the room across the hall, still humming to the song. 

"Nurse?" He calls out and drops it on the floor, sighing and leans in to grab it, her amber hair slipping off her hairnet. "Would you be a lamb and bring us more pudding? Usually this stuff is disgusting but today is actually good." Negan hears her chuckling and nodding. 

"Sure." She simply says in a thick Vermont accent and strolls the cart back to where she came from. 

_ I should probably check on Lucy...just to be sure, _ Negan secretly thinks but he barely has the time, his phone already buzzing.

"Yeah?" Negan enters the bathroom in the room, splashing some water on his face to wake him up. 

"Hey you." It's Lucy.  _ How the hell she got my number? _ "Just calling to check up on Simon." 

"He's fine." He says dryly. "Is that all?" 

"Someone's in a bad mood." She chuckles and he hears a muffled sound of something falling in the background. 

"What was that?" Negan asks curiously. 

"I'm doing some exercises. Gotta keep in shape." 

"Please, could you be more fucking vain?" He laughs teasing her and she merely scoffs. 

"Well, if you looked like me you would be too."  _ Ouch _ . "Gotta go, send my love to Simon." She hangs up before he can say anything and Negan catches himself staring himself in the mirror, remembering how she looked at him earlier through the mirror, shirtless and without a care in the world. Before he can put much off a thought in what he was doing, he ends wondering what kind of exercises she was doing, what she was wearing.  _ Shit. Stop that, Simon's fucking right, you're acting like a horny ass teenager. Focus.  _

"Shit...where the hell is that goddamn pudding?" Negan says standing up and walking to the door, just in time to see the security guard from the hospital coming back to its post, fixing his pants with a thin layer of sweat on his face _. Nasty motherfucker. _ "Lazy night huh?" 

"Tell me about it. I get it, it's protocol but damn, what harm can a jerk like that can it cause?" The guard yaws pointing at the room. 

"Yeah...this does suck ass." Negan strolls into the room lazily, no interest in his task at the moment. "Is this supposed to be beeping?" 

"Oh shit." The guard runs off, yelling for the nurse. 

"WHAT'S WRONG?" He screams at the door and the doctors came in running. 

"How long is he like this?" The doctor asks the nurse who's eyes go wide. "Where were you?" 

"I... I-" she stutters, for a second she glances at the security guard and Negan immediately understands it.  _ Nasty motherfuckerS.  _

"That fucking asshole is not fucking dying until I get the goddamn answers I need from him! BRING HIM BACK!" Negan growls, running his hands through his hair. 

"Grab the defibrillator, charge it." The doctor ignores her whines and asks them to clear out the space. "Again." They try it to bring him back over and over but there's no use. He's already gone. "Call it." 

"What do you mean call it?" Negan spits, furious, the doctor with deep eye bags simply shrugs, being used to this routine by now. "How the hell did this happened?!" He questions the medical crew, the nurse keeps her head low. "YOU HAVE TO FUCKING KIDDING ME!" 

"SIR, CALM DOWN!" The doctor asks and they begin to argue in no time, Negan is too busy cursing out the doctor to see the nurse confusingly noticing a cup of pudding abandoned at the desk by the door. 

"Who left this shit here?" She nervously asks, knowing she might've be about to lose her job for literally  sleeping on the job.  **Sleeping** , with the security guard as they both supposed to be on their shift. "Fuck." Grabbing the cup, anxious and annoyed, she tosses it on the trashcan, not knowing what it really meant. 

**40 MINUTES EARLIER**

Salem hummed to a Nancy Sinatra song as she pushed the cart through the hospital halls, her scalp itchy with the new wig. She blinked a few times, trying to bring some moisture to her eyes, she had put on brown contact lenses for extra careful measure. 

"Stop that." Russo nervously says on her earpiece. "You gotta take this seriously, both of our asses are on the fucking line here." 

"Calm down, just keep pretending we are fucking. That guard outside will lose interest soon." She had called him when the police car stopped outside her house, at Negan's request.  _ That did make it everything harder.  _ "Make it dirty." 

"Very funny, very fucking funny you dirty little whore." He growls on the phone and she laughs at him playing the part. Salem had planned to make sure that Russo was seen entering her building and appearing at her window, knowing the patroller was watching. She even kissed him for extra measure, closing the curtains later and lit up the lights, setting up a playlist of songs she liked to call as fuck me now songs. 

"You love it. I'll be back soon." Salem hangs up, smiling at her success sneaking out her house through the fire escape, her disguise safely kept inside her bag, she changed on a dark alley, before entering the hospital with her hair net and face mask.  _ Thank God for PPE. _

"Nurse?" She hears that familiar voice and freezes in place, dropping her clipboard on the ground.  _ FUCK FUCK FUCK _ . "Would you be a lamb and bring us more pudding? Usually this stuff is disgusting but today is actually good." He asks and she can hear the smug smile on his face, making her chuckle. 

"Sure." She says in a fake accent and strolls back to where she came from, stopping midway, hiding in a closet nearby _. He supposed to be home by now. Is he staying here the whole fucking night?_ _I should call him to be sure._ She dials his number and waits, her wireless headphone ringing. 

"Yeah?" He answers, seeming to be tired and she can hear water running in the background.  _ He's in the bathroom! That's my chance!  _

"Hey you." She says seductively, pushing the cart back to the shooter's room, grabbing a syringe from it. "Just calling to check up on Simon." 

"He's fine." His voice sounds dry, annoyed. "Is that all?" 

"Someone's in a bad mood." She chuckles, teasing him, tripping on edge of the bed and dropping a pile of hard as stone shitty hospital pillows, quickly putting back in place.  _ FUCK! It's fine, he definitely didn't noticed- _

"What was that?" Negan asks curiously.  _ DAMN YOU HIGH-QUALITY HEADPHONES!  _ She lowers the volume on his heart monitor machine, wearing gloves obviously. 

"I'm doing some exercises. Gotta keep in shape _." Speaking of which...I should probably get back with my daily exercises...I'll start tomorrow.  _ Salem pulls in a huge amount of air in the syringe and injects on the shooter neck, being careful trying to hit the same spot over and over but it didn't take too long, after a heart attack, he was on the verge of death already. _ All he needs is a little push _ , she jokes to herself as she pushes the plunger one last time. 

"Please, could you be more fucking vain?" He laughs, trying to tease her but she can tell it's out of pure spite. 

"Well, if you looked like me you would be too." ... _ and he's crashing _ . _ I'm done here _ . "Gotta go, send my love to Simon." She turns off her headphone and waits, just to be sure he's really gone. 

"Better luck next time, asshole." Salem squeezes her shooter cheek, grabbing a pudding from her cart and leaving on it as a goodbye gift, hoping Negan would find it, she glances over his room, waiting but he's still not out the bathroom _. He's probably staring himself in the mirror. Could he be more fucking vain? _

She pushes the cart back to where she came from, still humming to the song on her head, pleased with her work and with herself. 

**PRESENT**

"Sir, just calling you to let you know nothing happened to the end of my shift." The police patrol outside her building says yawning, his replacement minutes away. 

"Huh?" Negan says confused, still pissed off. "Oh, right. Anything else?" 

"No...no, she's very much taken care of." He chuckles on the phone, trying to crack a joke, be fucking funny and Negan goes silent. 

"What the hell do you mean by that?" 

"Oh...uh, I'm sorry it's just that-" 

"What. The. Hell. Do. You. Mean. By. That?" 

"Uhm, how can I say this?! Let's just say her night is...uh, busy." 

"Busy?" 

"Yes, sir...uh, a guy came by earlier. They've been on for a while now." 

"What guy?" Negan spits out, dreading it to be the guy he already met that day at her house and that he IMMEDIATELY hated it. "What fucking guy?" 

"A guy, sir. I don't know." The guard is now embarrassed, regretting it even saying it anything by now. "It's not like he introduced himself." 

"Is he tall, dark hair, lean, look like a fucking Ken doll?" 

"Uh...that's incredibly accurate." He hears Negan takes a deep annoyed breath on the phone. 

"Hm...I see. Well...stay fucking posted." 

"I will. She's actually waving now." The guard laughs, smiling and waving back at the half-naked woman waving on the window, wearing nothing but a silk amber robe. "Sam is almost here, I'm heading off, sir. She seems...nice." Negan rolls his eyes at this comment, his mood was bad before but now, for some strange reason, it went from bad to worse in a split second. 

"Yeah...she's friendly right?!" _Friendly, too fucking friendly._ _Maybe Simon's right...maybe there's more to her than we know._ "Tell him to keep an eye out, I'll be there in the morning." _Screw it, whatever it is, I'm getting to bottom of this shit._

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Salem cleans out her mess but gets into another one next chapter lol 
> 
> Next chapter is coming soon, their car trip is finally happening hehe 
> 
> Thanks for reading! Let me know your thoughts on this :3


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Happy Saturday/Sunday! 
> 
> This was a fun one to write, I inserted one if my favorite fanfiction cliches cause, well hehe ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> Next chapter is coming soon, see ya

"So what's for breakfast?" Russo asks Salem as he walks out of her bathroom, she was still laying on her bed, wearing a camisole, reading her french book and smoking a cigarette. After she got back from her little trip to the hospital, she was still in the rush, full of energy and one thing led to another and next thing she knows, she ended in bed with Russo, for real this time. And right now, she was already regretting it. _Breakfast? Who the hell does he think he is? Who the hell does he thinks I am?_ "Salem?" 

"Oui?" 

"Did you hear me?"

"I did...just still processing it. I mean, what you want me to do? Cook?" She chuckles and Russo scoffs. "In fact, you should get going by now, I'm sure they'll change the patroller in a few minutes, it's a good time for you to sneak out." 

"Whatever, just be careful. Your luck is that no new job came up yet, so you get to stay here." He sits by the bed, putting on his clothes and she sits by his side, hugging him from behind, her chin on his shoulder. 

"My luck? I think you meant our luck right? Don't forget it, you supposed to cover for me. If I go down, I'm dragging you with me, lover." Salem plants a kiss on his cheek and lays down again, continuing to read her book.

"Lock the door on your way out, I'm taking the day off today." Russo takes a deep breath and stands from her bed, checking himself on the mirror and she can't help but to compare him with Negan. _He could be his younger version, tall, athletic, dark hair, a smug confidence that makes you tick... no wonder they didn't like each other, they are pretty much the same._

"Call me if something comes up." He says walking out the room, she hears when he bangs the door shut, only to get opened up again a minute later. _Great_. 

"What is it? Did you forget something?" Salem groans flipping the next page. "Thought I said I was taking the day off today."

"You really shouldn't leave your door unlocked when someone just tried to kill you yesterday, doll." Negan appears on her room door with two cups of coffee in hand, catching her by surprise. 

"It wasn't supposed to be unlocked." She puts out her cigarette, closing her book, the gun taped under her bed ready to be picked up if necessary. "Good morning to you too, detective." 

"Someone's in a bad mood. What's wrong? The Ken doll left you high and dry and took off?" Negan laughs humorously, placing the cup on her nightstand. 

"Were you spying on me?" She looks up, grabbing the cup and opening, taking in the smell of fresh coffee. "But no...not really. It's just too early." Salem yawns, sipping the coffee. "So, what brings you here at this hour? Is Simon okay?" 

"He's fine, said he had worst hangovers." Negan watches as she drinks the coffee, her green eyes bright and alert. "But the shooter died last night." He bluntly says, expecting her reaction. 

"Wait, what?" _Sometimes I think I should get an Oscar for my top-notch performances, or at least an award_. "But...I mean, I know he had that heart attack but was it that bad?"

"Apparently yes." 

"Wow..." Salem lowers her eyes to her coffee then back at him. "Oh well, if there is a hell, I hope he's not there with me." She laughs and Negan tilts his head to the side, squinting his eyes. "Come on, sorry not sorry, I'm not crying over a guy who just tried to shoot me. 

"He was actually crucial to our investigation, Lucy." Salem shrugs slurping her coffee loudly. "So now we're back on fucking square one." 

"Which is?" 

"You." 

"Me?" 

"Yeah, grab your things, we're going to Atlanta. Pay a little visit to that gallery you mentioned earlier." _I do love their pecan pie._

"Shouldn't you go with someone else, like, I don't know, someone who is paid to? Which reminds me, where the hell is my fucking camera, Sherlock?" The second those words come out of her mouth, memories of what Simon told him earlier spark back into his mind. _Definitely not a standard reaction._

"We are checking the security cameras, I'm sure it'll come back." Negan says studying her face and he can swear he saw the hint of a sarcastic smile. "And I can go with someone else without setting off a fucking alarm all over the precinct. I can't lose this case." 

"Why not?" 

"It became personal, doll." Salem bit her lips holding back a smile and got up from her bed, drinking the rest of the coffee. "So, what do you say? Road buddies?"

"Okay, since it's so fucking important, I'll come. But with one condition." 

"Which is?" 

"I get to drive." Negan laughs throwing his head back, his face turning hard a second later. 

"Fuck no." 

"You're absolutely no fun, did anyone ever tell you that?" Salem rolls her eyes and sighs, knowing she wouldn't get her way this time by the way his face was twisted in a smug smirk. "Wait outside, I'll be ready in 20 minutes." 

"Outside?" 

"Yeah, as the opposite of inside, honey. I can't have a bunch of men rolling around here. What will Mrs. Swanson think of me?" She fakes a concern and pushes him off her room. "I'll be down in 20." Salem closes her door and locks it, knowing he was still by her door. _Who do I have to kill to get a day off here? ... probably him._

\-----------------

"This is it?" Negan asks closing his car door with a bang, stretching his back. "Looks abandoned to me. " 

"All hipsters galleries do, sweetie." She jumps off the car, cracking her bones groaning. "So what you thinking, good cop bad cop?" 

"I'm thinking, you stay inside the car and I do my job, how about that?" He laughs at her attempt to play detective. "Maybe take a stroll around, do some shopping." 

"...how about I make myself useful here? I told you everything you wanted to know on the way here but that doesn't mean I have no use anymore."

"Stay inside the car." 

"No." 

"Need I remind you that I'm the fucking police around here?" 

"Need I remind you that you're the one who brought me here in the first place? In a non-official trip?" Salem puts her hands on her waist, defying him, Negan gulps down, knowing that she was right. "Yeah... that's what I thought." _Asshole_. 

"This is Kate, can I help you?" The lady at the door asks through the intercom. "You gotta an appointment?" 

"Actually no, this Is the poli-" 

"Yeah we got an appointment, we're a bit early so if you could just get going, that would be great." Salem interrupts him, pressing the button and winking. "It's under the name of Mia Relliketh, social media influencer." 

"That's literally the most ridiculous name I ever heard in my entire life." He rolls his eyes annoyed. _Right, that does mean a lot coming from a guy named Negan, what kind of dumbass name is that?_ "Like that's going to work." Negan is already grabbing his badge, ready to have their entrance denied. "Let me show you how its done, doll." 

"Uh...sure. Come in." The door is buzzed open and Salem raises her fist celebrating her victory, pushing the door open. 

"Let me show you how its done, doll." She mimics his voice, leaving the door open for him. "You're not the only one with tricks under your sleeve. Follow my lead." 

"Welcome...hm, are you Mia?" An early-thirties woman comes downstairs with thick glasses, her hands holding a laptop and a coffee mug, Salem mentally prays to whoever might listen, hoping to not get recognized by her, since they did already met when she was in her recognition mission on Ronald a few weeks ago. _But I was a redhead then, my eyes were blue and I was dressed in the most hideous yellow coat so I think I'm good._

"I'm sorry I don't think we have it on the waiting list, I'm afraid you'll have to make an appointment for later."

"What? No, no, I'm just her interior designer. Please, this will be really quick, Mia can be a real bitch sometimes and you do not want her to go on a rant on her Instagram about this place, trust me." Kate's eyes go wide, knowing damn well how filthy some social media influencers could get, so she instantly changes her mind, sporting her best smile. 

"Sure...sure. What can I do for you today?" 

"Thanks for having us, you're a real lifesaver. I'm Love Kash and this is her new for the week assistant...Tiny Cox." Negan turns to the side, in disbelief of the name she has chosen him. "I know, I know, I guess she does have a thing for names right?" Salem and the receptionist Kate laughed for a while as Negan kept his scowl on. _Tiny Cox? Really? If there's anything that's not tiny about me it's my-_ "But anyways, Miss Relliketh sent us here to inspect the latest work from Ronald Rowe, she's extremely interested."

"I'm afraid they are not for sale yet...I'm not sure if you hear but his daughter, Regina, the only heir passed away before getting things settled so uh, we are in the middle of a lawsuit." Salem nods pretending to understand. "But feel free to take a look around, it's not every day we get to see a literal art piece live right?" _I mean...I look myself on the mirror every day but go off._

"Ah, you're the sweetest! I'm sure Tiny here is thrilled too…" she elbows his ribs, a reminder to play along with her. "Right Tiny?" 

"....I can't fucking wait." Negan gives Kate his most charming smile, hiding the fact he wants to pull out his badge and gun and just get done with it. But what he can't deny is this is actually a different turn on things. "We'll talk when we're done, doll." 

"Sure Tiny, can't fucking wait." 

Kate proceeds to talk about the paintings, their theme, ideas behind them, and both of them have to hide they utterly boredom, Salem does a better job hiding it than Negan. 

"So...Kate, I heard about a party or something like that, a few days ago, were you there?" He asks checking another painting, struggling to find some sense on it. "What can you tell us about that?" 

"Hmm, not much." Kate gets slightly suspicious. "Why?" 

"Oh, no big deal, it's just Tiny here wasn't invited and well...poor guy can't wait to get the tea." 

"Why didn't you just said so, sis?" Kate immediately changes her demur and begins to tell about the party, spilling all the names and details Negan went there to know. "Just the photographer of the night, God she was terrible." 

"...come again." Negan chuckles and Salem clears her throat, offended, munching on the biscuits by the coffee table. _I might not be an Annie Leibovitz but at least I try._ "Why do you say she was terrible?" 

"Well...not to bash a fellow worker but I could tell she wasn't professional, like, angles, lighting. Hell, you should've seen the clothes she was wearing! It's like she was more used to stay by and wait forever for a bird than to an art show. I have no idea how she got hired." 

"Maybe it was because she wasn't such a cunt…" She whispers to herself, swallowing the biscuit. 

"Excuse me?" 

"I said maybe she used her cunt." Salem quickly corrects herself, laughing along with Kate while Negan watched the placement of the security cameras. 

"Can I ask you something just out of curiosity?" He asks pointing at the camera. "Do art gallery cameras work or they are just for show?" 

"...of course they work." Kate rolls her eyes, surprised with the stupidity of the question. "Shouldn't you know that, Tiny?" 

"He's new, Kate." Salem taps his shoulder. "You know how they are…"

"Right...but hm, yeah they do work, people often try to steal us, especially since Ronald was murdered." 

"Awful, I know." They chat for a while longer, till Negan nods, satisfied with the information he assembled, pouring him some coffee for the go. "Kate, this was a delight, thank you so much for having us, I'll make sure to talk to Mia about you." 

"No problem...Tiny, do treat Love here well, it's nice to have workers around us that we can count on." Kate runs her hand on Salem's arm, stroking the skin like they were great friends. _This bitch_ . "Uh...now that I'm getting a closer look, you do look strangely familiar…" _Oh fuck_. "Do I know you from somewhere?"

"Oh, hm." _Goddfuckingdamn_ it, _let's not blow everything up_. "I do porn too so…" Salem says as it was the most plausible explanation possible and Negan almost choke on the coffee he was drinking, Kate's face immediately gets red in embarrassment. "That's probably it." 

"Yeah...maybe not. Maybe you just have one of those faces." _I DO NOT_. "But anyways, I... I gotta go. It's was nice to meet you, Love." Salem smiles pleased with herself. "Tiny." Kate closes the front door, waving her head, her face still burning. 

"Awkward." Salem sings after a second. "Hungry?" 

"You do porn?" Negan leans back, his smirk big on his face, laughing at how extra her excuse was. "You? Doing porn?"

"Yeah, you didn't know?" She gets in the car, banging the door on purpose. "It's target to guys with tiny dicks, thought you might've seen it before." 

"I want to check the security cameras." Negan continues to stare at the building, studying it for a while, pretending not to have heard her comment but secretly boiling inside. "We'll come back later." 

"Just get a warrant already." _Good luck with it._

"I can't, this is off the records, remember, sweetie?" He starts the car, scoffing annoyed with this step back and doing his best to not pull out his dick simply to prove a point. "We'll have to do it the old way." 

"So what you're saying? Break-in?" Negan looks over to her, her excitement on the verge of palpability.

"You know, if I didn't know you better, I would say you're almost excited about this." He scoffs, squinting his eyes in suspicion. 

"You don't know me better." She puts on her sunglasses, checking her phone. "I'm hungry, can we stop somewhere?" 

"Nope." 

"Why?" 

"Tiny Cox?" He dryly says and she laughs out loud, shifting in her seat. "Yeah yeah, laugh all you want. We ain't stopping."

"Okay Tiny...just so you know, I'm not as nice when I'm hungry." 

"So all that time was you being nice?" 

"Duh." Salem rolls her eyes, spotting an Italian restaurant. "Come on, if you don't stop now you'll regret it later, I can be really, really, **really** annoying." 

"Fine!" He hits the brakes, groaning but he was too, getting hungry. "But you're buying." 

"Whatever." _Love Kash does have cash_. 

They get seated and the restaurant is kinda full, it was almost 6 PM but the place is already crowded, the rush taking over around dinner time. 

"Have you ever been here?" He asks noticing how quickly she read the menu that was written mostly in what he obviously guessed, Italian, and put it down, her leg shaking under the table. "Can I get a chef suggestion?" 

"No. I'm buying, the least you could do it's choosing your plate." _Damn, she really isn't as nice when she's hungry._

"Ready to order?" The waitress Bella comes by, pouring some water and leaving a basket of bread to which Salem immediately jumps on it. 

"Yes, yes please. I'll have the pasta carbonara but let me ask you something, does the chef uses guanciale?" She asks pronouncing the word perfectly, taking the waitress by surprise, people usually just ordered not knowing the difference between the guanciale and its usual replacement. 

"Uhm...no ma'am, he replaces with bacon." 

"... beggars can't be choosers. That's ok, I'll have that and he'll have…" 

"The only thing I recognize here is pizza and how messed up can it get right?! So, I'll have that. Two beers." 

"Actually ew, no. I'll have the Chablis, bring the bottle." 

"Hm, wow, that's actually what I was about to suggest you. You do know your food." Bella smiles and takes the menus. "I'll be right back." 

"Thank you, Bella." She continues to eat on the bread, not noticing Negan's eyes on her till he clears his throat. "Oh, my bad. You want some?" 

"No, by all means...go on." He laughs watching her eat. "Lucia Cabot." _Who? Oh, right. Me._ "You do know your way around Italian food huh?" 

"What can I say? I like food." 

"Yeah, but Cabot's origin from Britain, not Italy." Salem stops eating, looking up. "So, do you mind sharing where you got all this knowledge?" 

"Are you stalking me?" 

"No, of course not, doll. I would never do that to you." But he actually already did, after Simon told him about his suspicion, he went home and dug deep in her pictures from Al's place, considering there wasn't much information available on his police system, nor the internet. Which was strange for a photographer, shouldn't she put on her work out there somewhere? So he decided to get a closer look at her, spend a day, get to know her better.

"But you were saying…" 

"I had an Italian boyfriend once." _Cough, target, cough._ "Luca, he loved to cook. That's where." 

"Luca? Just Luca?" 

"Of course not, Luca MindYourOwnBusiness. Is that good enough for you, Tiny?" 

"Don't fucking call me that." Negan can't help to notice how evasive she is, always answering his questions with another question or with a joke. "So what happened to sweet Luca?" 

"We broke up for artistic differences." _He saw himself as alive and I saw him dead._ "He's probably sailing on the Mediterranean as we speak." _Sinking actually, at the bottom of it._ "A real traveler that one." 

"He does sound like it." Their food finally gets there and they eat in silence for a while, that's until Salem decides to ask him some questions out of boredom. 

"And what about you, Detective?" 

"What about me?" 

"Any Italian girlfriends, boyfriends?" 

"Excuse me but what the fuck did you just said?" 

"I'm just messing with you." She refills her wine glass. "So...you were saying?" 

"No, I don't have any Italian girlfriends."

"What about that girl from self-defense class? What's her name again?" 

"Amber. But no... shit, we're not dating." _Just fucking, and poorly,_ he adds mentally. "I'm surprised you actually remember her." 

"Why wouldn't I? She's an absolute pleasure to be around." 

"Ha ha, right. Don't tell me you're jealous." She just raises her brows, dismissing the idea while Negan eats his last slice of pizza. "Come on, you can tell me, I'm your friend." 

"Friend?" Salem laughs, finishing her pasta. _God, the missing guanciale does make a difference._ "Friend, Detective?" 

"Yeah...we are friends right?" He gulps down his beer, his eyes studying her expression. "What, don't break my heart doll, you don't want to be my friend?" She scoffs and finishes her glass, raising her hand asking for the check. 

"We are not gonna be friends." Salem chuckles, staring deep into his eyes, Negan licks his lips, she was being way more pleasant now that she was fed. 

"Oh, no?" He leans in, his eyes on hers. 

"No." Salem pays the check, adding a fat tip, and walks out of the restaurant, not waiting for him to follow. "So... ready to cross some limits?" 

"Born ready."

\--------------

"Why the hell did you do that?" Negan screams as they run to his parked car, tapes in hand. "I TOLD YOU NOT TO DO THAT!" 

"In my defense…" Salem grunts throwing herself inside the car, limping, her twisted ankle hurting in protest. "The risk I took was calculated, but man, am I bad at math." 

"We gotta get you to the hospital!" 

"No!" _That's what you get jumping out of a height when you could easily have taken the stairs, as you know, a normal human being?!_ "It just needs ice, I'll be fine. Let's go." Negan starts the car, the rush of adrenaline of breaking into the gallery, search up and down for its security tapes avoiding said cameras in their disguises still pounding in his ear. "Aw come on, Negs, it wasn't that bad, you can laugh now." 

"First of all, I told you to stay in the goddamn car-" 

"Like a kid waiting for it's daddy that went shopping at Walmart?" 

"...I rolled down the window." He laughs at her grumpiness, the pain clearly bothering her. "Even left you a coloring book." 

"Very fucking funny!" Salem smacks his arm. "But it's not broken or anything, I just need to put some ice on it." 

"We'll stop at a motel." He sighs, displeased with staying the night, his plan was to get this done in one day. "I need to call Simon, shit…" 

"Hang on, let me." She begins to dial the number, waiting for him to answer, fiddling with the radio, trying to turn it on. "What if he's asleep?" 

"Lucy?" 

"HEY!" She reaches out her phone closer to Negan, looking through the window. _Hey, a horse!_ "Hey Simon, how is your day going so far-"

"Simon, it's Negan." He interrupts her, grabbing the phone out of her hand as she tries to turn on the radio again. "Just calling to check-in…" Negan slaps her hand away from the radio once, ineffective. "You okay?" 

"Uhm...I'm fine man, Monday I'm back on my feet…" He can tell Simon is holding back his tongue, for once in a lifetime. "Look, where are you? Rick's been looking for you." _Oh shit_. 

"I'm coming home, I'll stop by to see you tomorrow, ok? I'll explain it later..." 

"Hm...ok." Simon clears his throat, Salem finally gets to turn on the radio, trying to find a station. "Everything ok?" 

"Yeah." Negan glares over her, paying attention to both the road and the phone call. "Why you ask?" 

"I love this song!" Salem begins to hum along with the song on the radio. "Oh I think I smell a rat..." She sings turning up the volume, dancing in her seat, trying to not focus on the stinging pain on her ankle. (For those wondering about the song, it's [ https://youtu.be/2kfx80H3N1g ](https://youtu.be/2kfx80H3N1g)) 

"Lucy, turn that shit down!" Negan curses, turning down the volume. "Look, everything's fine man, I'll call you later ok? Wait me up." 

"Okay, just, be careful okay?" Simon takes a deep breath. "Take care." 

"Bye Simon!" Salem says turning up the volume again, singing along with the song. "...walking down the street, carrying a baseball bat. Oh I think I smell a rat!" 

"Shit, thank God you're a photographer." Negan jokes still holding her phone, the screen lighting again with a text, getting his attention. _B.R_? 

**Where the hell are you? We have a problem, call me. I mean it.**

"Why?" She asks removing her jacket, not paying attention to Negan's focus, reading the text through the screen. 

"You suck so fucking much singing." He laughs, trying to keep her attention on the song. Another text. 

**You're going to get caught if you don't stop playing with your luck.**

**Call me.**

"Are you done?" She reaches out her hand for her phone, turning the volume up, Negan flinched, dropping her phone. "Geez, what's gotten you so jumpy?!" 

"Nothing." He clears his throat as she leans in to grab it from the car floor between his legs. "Careful there, don't start shit you can finish, doll." 

"Aw, Tiny." Salem laughs, squeezing his leg, reaching for the vibrating phone on the ground. Russo? Wait _, I missed these texts...that sneaky bastard._ "I never not finish something." _Or someone_. "Don't try me." 

"We're here." He pulls the parking break, taking a deep breath. "You okay sharing a room?" 

"Of course, where the hell could be safer than a room with a detective? Oh, and you're buying by the way." He scoffs at her comment, leaving the car to get them a room. " _I think I do smell a fucking rat, indeed. In fucking deed._ "Focus Salem, don't fuck this up now." 

"Good news." Negan comes back with a room key, swinging around his finger. "And bad news." 

"Good first, always." 

"They have a room." He seems slightly uncomfortable, which doesn't happen easily with someone like Negan. 

"I mean...duh. What's the bad news?" 

"They only got one bed in it." Salem smiles tilting her head to the side. "What's so goddamn funny?" 

"You know, your mouth says bad news but your eyes say it otherwise." She gets her bag from the backseat, closing the car door, stealing the keys from his hand. "Go get ice, I need to cool down." Negan watches as she limps to the room, phone in hand. 

"...shit." He strolls over the car, getting ammo from his glove compartment, checking his loaded gun. "Why do I have the feeling I'm going to regret this shit?" 

Salem unlocks the door, putting her stuff on the chair by the bed, scrunching her nose at the room as a whole. 

"Well shit…" She grabs the secret knife on the purse pocket, hiding under the nightstand, immediately pouring some hand sanitizer on her hands afterwards. "Why do I have the feeling I'm about to regret this trip?"

She sits down, removing her shoes carefully, hissing at the left one, her ankle purple-ish already. 

"Say goodbye to those heels you just bought, sweetie." Salem pouts, looking for a painkiller inside her nécessaire, popping two at once, bringing the bag to the bathroom with her, grabbing a towel, and locking herself in the small bathroom, regretting leaving her bed earlier. 

_I'm going to be so fucked up if I were to get murdered in this fucking cum dumpster._ Her phone rings again and she braces herself for the scolding to come. 

"What up?" 

"Where the hell are you?" _So much for saying hi on the phone huh, Billy?!_

"Atlanta." Salem blurts out hoping him to not understand. 

"What? What, when? WHY ARE YOU IN ATLANTA?" _You can't blame me for trying right?_

"I felt like eating pecan pie." She lies stripping off her clothes. "I'll bring you some." 

"Look, I'm not even wasting my time trying to reason with you ok?" Russo growls on the phone. "You have a new job, it's urgent. Must be done this week." 

"Okay...I'll be back tomorrow, relax." Salem turns on the shower, waiting for it to get hot enough. "Where?" 

"Here." 

"Really? Wow...so much for keeping it low." 

"Yeah...wait for you to see how is it." He teases her knowing she was naturally curious, hoping the anticipation would eat her alive. "But you know, unfortunately you're aware of our no names on the phone rule." 

"YEAH I'M VERY MUCH AWARE OF THAT YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE!" Russo laughs pleased at how quickly his expected effect got into her. "Ugh, I'm not bringing you pie anymore." 

"Fuck it." He chuckles humorously, listening to her heavy breathing. "Hey, everything ok in there? You sound a little tense."

"Fuck you." She checks the water temperature. "One day I swear to God, I'm gonna punch that smug right out your fucking face." 

"Yeah, start with your little pig first." _Of course he knows I'm with Negan. Of course._ "How's your trip going?" 

"Fine...I'm either fucking or blowing his brains out tonight." She shrugs, checking herself on the dirty mirror. "We'll see how this goes." 

"Have fun." He scoffs, knowing that she wouldn't do it...well, blowing his brains out at least, she had been given specific orders NOT to kill a police detective without a matter of life or death situation, it's too messy to fix it later. "But remember, behave."

"I will." _Well, this is as hot as it's going to get in this shit hole_ of a shower. "See ya." 

Salem turns off the phone, entering the shower, clueless about Negan's ear glued to the bathroom door, listening to everything, still holding the ice bucket he fetched her. 

_Well shit_...he hides his gun on the nightstand by the other side of the bed, unaware of her knife hidden on the other side, still hearing her sing in the shower to the song she was listening in the car earlier. 

Negan sighs locking the room and closing the blinds, cracking his neck. "We'll see how this goes then, bitch."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! 
> 
> Hehe next chapter things get either smutty or violent (or both) still to be determined lol 
> 
> Thanks for reading, hope you guys are liking where this is going, if not feel free to tell me so 
> 
> I'll post it soon, byeeee


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnnd we reached ten chapters of this story I really didn't think I could write before lol 
> 
> Anyways, this long ass chapter is NSFW, it has violence, blood and smut hehe 
> 
> Enjoy and don't forget to leave a comment

_I feel like I need a shower after this shower, ew._ Salem wraps herself on the towel, putting on her body lotion. 

"Just so you know, you're not the only one who wants to shower, doll." Negan knocks on the door, startling her. "I got your ice, better come out before it melts." She opens the door wearing only the towel, her hair up in a bun, tightly kept by a golden snake hairpin. "You have got to be fucking kidding me...Lucy..."

"Don't act like you never seen it before." Salem walks past him, making sure the towel was staying in place, the painkillers finally kicking in. "What?" She asks noticing how he was measuring her, suspicion all over his face. 

"Nothing, nevermind... I'm just gonna shower." He closes the bathroom door and she rolls her eyes at his awkwardness, picking up a fresh pair of underwear and a purple silk pajama set. _Can't believe I'm wasting this look on this dumpster_. 

"You have got to be kidding me…" she smirks noticing the security footage laying on top of his duffle bag, opening one by one and scratching with her hairpin, just for the kick out of it, immediately putting back in place. "Come on, Negs, you can't be possibly making this easy for me." Looking at the bathroom door and hearing the shower running, she decides to investigate some more, nosing her way around his stuff, his phone laying on his nightstand buzzed and Salem flinched. 

**I've got something for you, it's about Lucy.**

_WHAT THE FUCK?_ She opens her mouth in surprise, her leg bouncing in place. _Okay... let's... let's think about this. His pin code, let's see...1234? No. 0000? No. Oh fuck, one more attempt, and I'm blocking it for a minute._ Salem turns her head towards the door _, trying to picture_ something someone like him would use as a password. _Shit...6969?...Yes? Oh my God, I'm a fucking genius!_

"Ah, Negan, you perverted piece of hot trash." She deleted Simon's text giggling, the shower stopped running so she stops what's she's doing, leaving his phone where she found it, running to the bed with the ice bucket and a ridiculously expensive silk scarf from her bag. "Oh, Hermes, sorry, baby. We'll get through this okay?" 

"Who you're talking to?" Negan opens the bathroom door, shirtless, his pants hanging low on his hips. 

"No one…" She leans in, ignoring the growing urge to stare at his athletic body. _God, no wonder he is that cocky._ "From 1 to 10, what's the chance of us getting our organs harvested and sold to the black market tonight?" 

"....0." He laughs at her concern, but the look she gives him, raising her brows makes him get a second thought _. I mean, the guy at the desk was fucking creepy, who knows the people that are staying here? Shit..._ "6." 

"That just fucking dandy isn't it?" Salem scoffs, the sheets on the bed already itching her skin. "Just so you know, if I die in this place, I'm so haunting you, swear to God." 

"Relax, I'm not letting anything happen to you. Don't you trust me?" Negan asks noticing her hesitation, after all, himself was lying too, he had his gun ready for Christ's sake. "Need a hand?" 

"Actually...yeah." He sits down on the bed, placing her leg on top of his lap, grabbing a handful of ice and wrapping around her ankle, being unnecessarily rough. "Softer!" Salem whines when he puts on too much pressure. 

"You got a high pain tolerance for a photographer." Negan teases, still trying the scarf around her ankle. "Didn't flinched once." 

"If I didn't know you better, I would think you're trying to hurt me." 

"Me? Nah. Besides…" he gives the last knot, making her hiss with the suddenness. "You don't know me better." 

Salem blinks in surprise as he flops her leg down on the bed, going to his nightstand, checking his phone, she sighs, holding her laugh in at her mischievousness. 

"You probably should get some sleep, we leave early tomorrow." Negan lays down in bed, putting his arm behind his head. "At the first sunlight we are out, no more 5 minutes shit." 

"But I wanna watch TV." She grabs the remote, turning the TV on. "Do you think they have anything drinkable on the bar?" 

"No." Salem gets up to check and he grabs the remote, turning off the TV. "I'm not paying for that, just so you fucking know." 

"That's ok." She lays down again, her arms full of small liquor bottles. "Neither am I." 

"You do know I'm a goddamn cop right?" Negan rolls his eyes, taking a few out of her hands as she sips one bottle. 

"Is that it? Why didn't you tell me before?!" _Yeah, keep laughing, you're gonna end up arrested if you screw around him._ "Can I ask you something?" 

"...sure." 

"Why did you became a cop?" 

"I wanted to beat the living crap out of thugs." He says it flatly, the room goes silent, Negan turns around to face her and she has a surprised expression plastered across her slightly blushed face. "What?"

"...that's it?" She opens another bottle, handing over to him, which he takes without putting much thought into it. "Wow...that's so fucking stupid." 

"Come again?" He growls, making her shrug. 

"I mean, if you wanted to beat the crap out of people, just beat the crap out of people, you'll feel much better." 

"Who told you I feel like shit?" 

"You did, just now." Salem laughs but Negan still had his serious face on. "See? You're not as complicated as you think you are." 

"And you're not as smart as you think you are." He grabs the bottle of her hand, chugging on it, and Salem mentally celebrates. 

"Now you're just being petty." _And stupid. So fucking stupid._

"What's the matter with you? Huh?" _Another bottle_. 

"Nothing! I'm just trying to figure you out." 

"Good luck with that, not the first and for sure not the fucking last." 

"Wanna bet?" She sits down, biting her lips with the challenge. "Let's play a drinking game, for every right on me, you have to drink, for every wrong, I have to drink. Deal?" 

"What am I, 12?" Negan scoffs, rolling his eyes but Salem is already working her way in. "Fine... anything to get you to shut your mouth." _There are other ways I could think of... but that's probably just the booze. Shit._

"Okay, let's do this." _Thank fuck for my nosiness._ "You are an only child." She teases, Negan sighs and takes a sip. "Huh, takes one to know one." 

"What's next? You're going to braid my hair, talk about our feelings-" 

"Speaking of feelings...you do feel like shit, don't you?" Salem licks her lips, looking up, waiting, Negan is immersed in thoughts, remembering his reasons. "You look like you barely have any sleep at night. What is it? Babies... neighbors... nightmares?" He looks over, her eyes glistening in interest. 

"What's that? A gypsy trick?" Negan scoffs, but still chugging the bottle. 

"Nightmares then…" 

"That's enough for the night." He takes a deep breath. "I need to sleep."

"...can you though?" She rolls her eyes, not feeling like sleeping yet. "I'm bored!" Negan groans, kicking her bad leg out of annoyance. 

"Good night, Lucy." 

"... good night." _Asshole_. 

Negan is in the shower, the warm water hitting his back and for once he feels like he's finally in the right place. 

"Baby, breakfast is ready!" He gets confused, immediately recognizing the voice but he's simply a bystander, like if he's watching everything unfolds without any sort of control. 

Next time he blinks, he's sitting by the table, reading the newspaper as someone hums a song in the back, the same song he heard earlier this week in the hospital. 

"It's your favorite, eat up." He looks over to the side and to see Lucille serving his food, healthy and beautiful as he so liked to remember. "I was thinking, we could go to the park later, it's a beautiful day outside, so sunny!" 

"Anything you want, baby." They kiss passionately, tears pricking on the corners of his eyes. "Lucille?" 

"How could you do that to me?" Lucille asks crying, her healthy look now gone, her skin and hair rotting, sick like. "I was sick and I needed you, how could you do that to me?" 

Negan looks over to find himself back in the hospital, Lucille withering away in bed, like a balloon losing its air, he tried to scream, to beg for her forgiveness but no words came out, didn't matter how hard he tried, all he could do was cry, hold her cold hand and pour his eyes out. 

Next time he opens his eyes, he's alone in the hospital room, Lucille now gone. 

"Where is she? WHERE THE HELL IS SHE?" He screams trying to jump off the bed but he can't move even though he's not restrained. "LUCILLE! WHERE IS SHE?" 

"Don't worry." He turns to the side, Lucy standing right next to him, holding his hand, calming him down, yet the expression on her face was anything but soothing. 

"Where is she? What's did you do to her?" Negan is desperately trying to free himself of his invisible restrains. "WHAT DID YOU DO?" 

"I didn't do anything. You did." Lucy simply says, grabbing the pillow from behind his head, her eyes staring deep into his, he can feel his breath getting sharper, shallow. "You did this, not me."

"Lucy." 

"Try again." She presses the pillow against his face, heavy as one hundred bricks, suffocating him cowardly as he struggled against the imminent death, the air leaving his lungs, escaping his body, the coldness of Lucille's hands were now his. 

"Lucille…" he cries again, the once cold feeling being taken over by the warm grip reality again. 

"Shit...that's messed up." He sits down in bed to find Salem laying on the couch, her leg extended with a fresh handful of ice wrapped around her ankle. "I almost thought I lost you to Freddy Krueger for a second." 

"You went out?" Negan asks noticing her slightly disheveled hair and clothes, lighting a cigarette he was sure she didn't have on before. 

"Who's Lucille?" She asks struggling with the lighter. 

"Huh?" He tries to dodge the subject, but Salem is way too curious to let it go. 

"Lucille, you were mumbling and crying her name." 

"That's none of your goddamn business." Negan stands up, going to wash his face in the bathroom, a few drops of blood are smeared across the sink. _What the fuck?_ "Lucy?" He calls out, splashing some water on his face. 

"Yeah?" 

"What were you doing?" 

"What do you mean?" She asks flexing her fingers, flinching. 

"There's blood on the bathroom…" 

"Oh...my bad. I popped a pimple, though I had cleaned up, sorry." Salem stands up, entering the bathroom, running the water, cleaning the rest. 

"What time is it?" Negan tries to check his watch but his vision is blurry. 

"3 AM, devil's hour." She chuckles sitting down on the couch again. "So... Freud, you wanna talk about it? Your dream or-" 

"No." He walks by the door, checking the blinds, it was empty, dark and silent as ever, not a soul in sight. "Why are you up? You should get some sleep." 

"Sometimes I... sometimes I have this recurring dream, uh, I can't really explain it." She shifts in her seat, trying to get her leg comfortable. "I'm running, desperately in a place, I don't know from someone or something and it don't matter how much I run or set up a trap, I'm always on the run because I know that whatever is after me, it's not trying to be best buddies." Salem takes a long drag, remembering the details, Negan is paying dead attention on her story, studying her face. "But in this dream, I never hide, not once, I just...run." 

"...maybe you should get a therapist." 

"Maybe I should... anyways, what I'm saying is, if you don't recognize the shit you're running from, you'll run forever...just like me." 

"Who are you? Dr. Phil?" Negan laughs trying to pretend her words didn't get into him. "Come back to bed." 

"There's this, quote, passage, from a Japanese book that, from time to time, it pops back into my mind." She is slightly drunk, having mixed her painkillers with more booze, she wasn't on her best self now and Negan was beginning to notice. "How was it…?!"

"Really…?" He stands from the bed, moving away the cup from her hand, putting out the cigarette. _What the fuck happened here?_ "What's that?"

"What lasts, lasts; what doesn’t, doesn’t. Time solves most things. And what time can’t solve, you have to solve yourself. As time goes on, you’ll understand." 

"Lucy...what did you do?" Negan shake her shoulder, trying to get her up, she just ignores him. "Let's get you to bed." 

"Time goes by but...I don't think it's up to you me alone to fix the shit I've done." 

"What are you talking about?" He gets her up from the couch, he can smell the booze emanating from her clothes, like if she had spilled some. "Just...go to sleep, you'll feel better tomorrow." Negan tries to get her to lay down, but she has an iron grip keeping him in place. "Lucy?"

"I fucked up." She sobs scared, pulling him closer. "Someone's after me but I'm not dreaming anymore." Salem suddenly looks up, her lips twisted in a smile, grabbing the pin from her hair, stabbing him right in the neck, blood spilling everywhere, gushing by the liters. "You are." 

"LUCY!" Negan screams furious, sitting down in bed, slapping his face a few times, pinching himself, trying to be sure he was finally awake. _That bitch killed me twice…where is she?_ He can hear the faint sound of loud music playing, grabbing his gun, phone, and checking the room for the missing girl, no sign of her. _Goddamn it, where the hell is she?_

Walking out the room, he takes a deep breath, the chili night air bringing him some calmness, only to be taken by concern a second later when he hears the sound of something crashing nearby. 

"Who's there?" He calls out, gun in hand, ready to shoot if necessary, slow steps to where the sound came from, from the huge trash can in the back of the motel. _What the hell?_ Negan takes a deep breath, his hand reaching out to open the heavy lid, the hair on the nape of his neck going up as someone approached him from the back. 

"Would you believe it I told you, that just a minute ago I saw a rat, big as a dog, entering that same trash can with a cat in his mouth?" Salem chuckles behind him, eating a chocolate bar. Negan turns around, his gun still pointed, lowering after she furrows her brows in faked confusion. "Weird right?!"

"WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU?" He asks putting his gun away, looking over to the sides, making sure no one else was there. 

"Here, duh." She bites into the chocolate, shrugging, speaking with her mouth full. "I got hungry." 

"You don't fucking leave like that ok?" He sighs, the crashing noise, now lower, still happening inside that trash can. "Let's get inside, that fucking rat is giving me the creeps." 

"I got you one too. Thought you might use it, you were...how can I say? Suffering in your sleep." 

"So you just let me suffer?" Negan scoffs, pulling her into their room, closing and locking the door. "Thanks."

"I didn't want to intervene, It seemed like you were suffering somewhere else…" Salem is actually being honest for once, she did watch him sleep that night, not feeling secure enough to fall asleep with him next to her, she feared waking up dead, or worse, in jail. So she did her best to stay up, sitting on the couch, feeling uneased, curious about the next job until Negan began to groan in his sleep, to even cry, shifting in bed every minute, calling out a woman named Lucille, she got closer after that, watching him closely, even touching his face but he would not wake up, so she just let him be, for 10 seconds she missed out him screaming her name in his sleep. "I didn't feel it was my best to drag you out, it seemed, uhm, personal."

"Well...I'm not thanking you if that's what you're expecting me to." Negan felt somewhat relieved by that, but he wasn't admitting it anytime soon, he watched as she placed the chocolate by his side of the bed, her perfume invading his nostrils, he hated how good she smelled all the time, considering how the broken perfume bottle still remained a mystery. "But thanks for...the chocolate." 

"See? That's wasn't so hard was it?" _Actually, I stole those but it's the thought that counts so, screw it._ "So, you wanna talk about that dream of yours..." she walks out the bathroom, the hairpin now gone, her long raven black hair in soft curls moving to the sides as she limped, worse than he remembered her to. "...or we not that close yet?" 

"You went out dressed like that?" Negan dodges the question, just like in his dream, the feeling of deja vu hitting him. "Alone?"

"What a gentleman." Salem scoffs in disbelief, rinsing her mouth on the sink, the water stained with blood. _Well, it could've been worse._ "But yeah, this place is pretty much dead anyway." _It is now_. 

"I don't want you leaving like that without warning me. You're under my fucking responsibility here. Something could've had happened to you." 

"I can take care of myself, thank you very much. But you're right, officer, something could've had happened." Salem lays in bed, taking a deep breath, trying to relax but she's too pumped and filled with energy. "So...what happens when we get there?”  
  


“I’ll check the security footage, and you’re going to help me.” He chuckles at her annoyed groan, looking up. “It’s not like you have anything better to do anyway.”

“You don’t know that.” 

“Of course I do, word on the crops is that you’re actually a terrible photographer.” Negan laughs remembering Kate’s comments from earlier. “It’s not like you’re going to get hired anytime soon.”

“That’s really low.” _Jokes on you, I’m already hired_. “And you’re not one to talk either...detective.”

“Excuse me?” Negan sits on the bed, looking down on her, hatred filling his eyes. “What did you just say to me?”

“Nothing that’s isn’t true.” She meets his eyes, biting her lips, holding back a smile. “What? Did I hit a nerve or something?”

“Lucy, shut the fuck up or-” He cusses, his finger pointing at her face, trying to intimidate her, yet she merely scoffs, sitting on the bed to level the grounds. 

“Or what? Huh, what are you gonna do about it? Kill me? Arrest me? Or even worse, protect me?" She laughs remembering how wonderfully he failed before. "Shit...we all know how shitty it usually turns out right?!” _This is it, either he'll try to kill me or he'll finally give me what I want...I'm actually fine with both ends._

Negan decides he had enough of it, so he grabs a handful of her hair, making her grunt with the sudden roughness, wrapping around his wrist, bringing her face inches away from his, so close he swore he could hear her racing heartbeat.

"Who the fuck you think you're talking to?" He snaps and pulls her closer, his eyes never leaving hers. "ANSWER ME!" Negan growls, shaking her head, trying to get a response from her, and Salem brings her arm up, slapping his face with the back of her hand, **hard** , his grip on her hair finally loosening up.

"If you wanted to play rough." She grabs a handful of his hair, pulling his head back, smiling at the sight. "All you had to do was ask." 

"You filthy fucking bitch." Negan flips them over, letting all of his weight crash onto her body. "Do you get off on this?" His lips were bleeding already, not only she had a heavy hand, it was adorned with her usual rings, cutting the skin the second the strike hit it. "Fuck, you're crazy." 

Salem pushes him away, pulling his pants down, kicking them away, her hand slips inside his boxers, closing the distance between them, licking the blood of his lips, pulling him into a kiss, moaning in his mouth. "Something tells me you like that." She laughs into his lips, the hard as stone dick on her hand giving him away. "Tell me to stop." 

Negan's breathing becomes sharper as her movements slow down into an agonizing pace, teasing him right out of his mind. _Fuck fucking fuck._

"Go on." She murmurs against the skin on his neck, kissing, licking, and biting into it. "Tell me to stop, detective."

He pushes her away, grabbing both of her shoulders, his death stare sending shivers down to her core. "You have no idea who you're fucking with." Pushing her down to the mattress, tearing the silk of her pajamas with one brutal movement, he supports himself on top of her, his hand pressing against her throat as he frees himself of his last piece of clothing. "You have no fucking idea, doll." His experient hand goes down between them, digging two thick fingers deep inside of her, without warning or kindness. 

"Fuck." Salem moans come out strained, the heavy hand around her neck cutting her airflow. "Go on, enlighten me then. Show me who I'm fucking with." She whined slapping him again, his hand finally releasing the air she was beginning to crave it desperately. 

"When I'm done with you…" Negan leans back, grabbing a condom from his wallet, pumping himself slowly a few times, taking his time. "You'll have learned how to give me the proper respect, bitch." He pulls her closer, bringing each leg by his side, not caring about her twisted ankle anymore. "No irony." His fingers find their way back inside her, his movements teasing and pleasing her in such a way, more than she would like to admit to herself. "No rolling eyes." He aligns himself, keeping her in place with his hand on top of her belly. "No jokes." 

"Are you going to do it or are you just reciting poetry all fucking night-" Salem words are cut off by him burying himself deep inside of her. "FUCK!" He leans in, moving slowly, his thrusts slow but rough at the same time, kissing her lips like his life depended on it. "Harder." 

"I set the fucking pace here." He grabs her hair, his lips devouring her neck, assaulting the skin like she did to him earlier. "You just shut the fuck up. And take it. Like a good girl ok?" At every word of his last sentence, Negan quickens his thrusts, getting harder and faster by the word, covering her mouth with his free hand. "Like a fucking good girl, kitten."

Salem scratches his back, her sharp manicured nails tearing the skin on the way, earning a grunt of pain from him, but that's not even close to make him stop, so she bites hard into his hand, freeing herself, taking a deep much-needed breath, cursing as he continued to use her like a rag doll. 

"I said harder." She uses her good leg to pull herself up, just like in self-defense class, now topping him, yet she knew not for long. "What's the matter? That's all you got?" Negan grabs her waist, pounding as rough as possible, Salem meeting his thrusts on the way, her arms around his neck, bringing him closer. "That's it, fuck. Don't stop." 

"Don't you fucking dare to cum!" Negan lands a hard slap on her face, pulling her out of her frenzy state, his hand around her neck as a warning. "You don't get to fucking cum without-" 

"Fuck!" As if her body knew it would only anger him some more, her orgasm came tearing its way without much-needed effort, she crashes her lips to his, moaning her rush into his mouth, still bouncing on his lap, feeling Negan's hand getting tighter around her throat. _If only my life insurance company knew…_

"You fucking bitch." Negan flips them again, getting her on her knees, pushing her head down to the mattress, his fingers deep into her hips, thrusting, pounding relentlessly, seeking his own thrill. "You dirty whore, this was what you wanted huh? From the beginning?!" Her response is muffled by the sheets, only undistinguished moans and curses getting lost in the way, the sound of his open palm against her ass filling the room.

"Goddamn it, you filthy slut. Fuck…" he grunts one last time before cumming, Salem bringing her hips back, meeting his final thrusts, his sweat dripping on her back. "Shit...fuck." He's out of breath, pulling out, throwing away the cum filled condom in the trash, making sure it hadn't broken in all the flipping and fucking. "You okay?" 

Salem is laying down on her stomach, face still against the sheets, looking dead; she just raises her hand, giving him a positive sign with her thumb, getting a laugh out him and slap on her already sore and bruised ass, yet she doesn't even move, gathering her strength back. Negan walks into the bathroom, checking himself in the mirror as he cleans himself. Teeth marks, bruises, and even blood covered his skin. _Shit, are we fucking or we fighting_? 

"For someone your size, you got a heavy hand." He jokes walking out the bathroom, expecting to find her in the same dead position but she's already standing on her feet, butt ass naked, limping around the room, her phone tightly pressed to her ear. "Who you're talking to?" She raises her hand to shush him, listing to whoever was talking like you do to a little kid. 

"No, I'll be back soon. Thanks Mrs. Swanson." Salem scoffs, tapping her feet anxiously on the floor, her face going from relaxed and playful to annoyed and angry. "Huh…" 

"What is it?" He asks coming closer, eyeing the marks he had just left on her body, running his finger lazily across them. _That's weird, there are some fresh ones here and there but I don't think I did them...or did I?_ "Lucy?"

"While we were playing Bonnie and Clyde in this dumpster, someone broke into my apartment." She chuckles smiling in a way it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Funny…"

"Calm down, I'll send a patrol there, it's probably just some crackhead from around, don't worry." He tries to calm her down, feeling her anger boiling by the minute. "Get dressed, we have to go then." 

"Negan?" Salem calls him out, annoyed with him trying to calm her down. 

"Yeah?" 

"You better pray it's just a stupid dumb fucking crackhead." She licks her lips, her face twisting into a scowl, he suddenly remembers his nightmare, so he takes a step back. "You brought me here, none of this would've happened if you had just-"

"Wait hang on, you aren't seriously putting this on me are you?" He scoffs, not believing his ears. "Seriously? Besides, what the hell could've you had fucking done to prevent it, huh?" She rolls her eyes as if he had just said the most stupid thing ever, but he didn't catch that in time. 

"Look, all this was really fun, but don't you dare to think for even a single second, that I won't come for you if I have to." She grabs some clothes of her bag, quickly getting dressed, her movements indicating how pissed off she was. 

"Well, excuse my goddamn french you lady, but you did just threaten me?" Negan grabs her arm, pulling her closer, looking down on her. "What the hell happened with sweet submissive Lucy from like, two minutes ago?" 

"First of all, I was never submissive." She pulls her arm away, putting her jacket on, rambling around her bag, after God knows what. "And second of all-" her green eyes go wide open, as if she had just remembered leaving the stove on, running her fingers through her hair. _GODDAMN IT FUCKING SHIT, YOU DUMBASS BITCH! "_ Matter of fact... you're right. I'm sorry. I'm just... nervous...it's not like I have insurance." _YOU HAVE TO GO, NOW_! Negan frowns at her sudden change of behavior, but instantly pleased at the same time, she was apologizing and that was a first. "Can we, just go? Please." 

"See?" He pats her hair, ruffling it, smirking completely clueless of her real hidden reasons. "That wasn't so hard wasn't?" Salem smiles, batting her eyelashes, her anxiety eating her up from inside. "I'll just check out, wait by the car." 

"Thanks!" She closes her bag, stuffing everything inside, rushing through the door. "Morning!" She greets the cleaning lady, lazily pushing the cleaning cart through the hall. _Fuck fuck fuck fuck, ten thousand times fuck._

"You are leaving?" The woman asks yawning, trying to unlock the room next to their now-empty one, as Negan goes to the desk guy, Salem just nods dramatically, trying to be friendly. "Good...too much noise last night, have you heard anything?" 

"No, I'm afraid not. I'm a heavy sleeper." Negan is arguing with the guy about something she can't quite hear from afar. "Hey, how about you skip that room? I saw them drinking and smoking last night...I don't think they'll be up anytime soon." 

"Really? I gotta get the trash out later anyways." Salem gulps down at this comment, dying inside. "But I'm sure the new girl can do that...Oh well…" she shrugs entering their vacant room, stopping the second she sees the blood on the sheets. _Damn, I do have a heavy hand._ "Weren't you a heavy sleeper just two seconds ago, sweetie?"

"Oh...that? We were, uhm, making origami last night." Salem quickly lies, tapping her foot on the floor, impatient. "You know how bad can some paper cuts get right?" 

"Is that so?" The woman raises the sheets, lifting a suspicious brow. "Origami?" 

"Very competitive origami." She giggles awkwardly, pulling a 50 note from her bag and placing on the cart, winking, finally shutting the woman up. _Oh thank God, I really don't need another problem on my plate, I'm already in deep fucking trouble. Where the hell that shit went?_ Negan is finally coming back, his mood completely gone now. "What's wrong?" 

"Some fucking assholes threw a party into one of the rooms last night, that pizza face at the desk think we did it so he charged me extra." His face is in a comic scowl as he puts the remaining change into his wallet.

"Wow...that's unfortunate. But we gotta go, come on." Salem squeals at his slow pace, bouncing in place. 

"I didn't even hear anything from any of the rooms, did you?" 

"Negan, baby, I love when you play detective but right now, I'm more interested in you playing your part as driver ok? Okay, great let's go." She pushes him on his parked car direction. "Lovely to meet you, Lottie, bye!" 

"Yeah right...bye." The cleaning lady is stuffing the sheets into the cart, hiding the 50 dollars on the hem of her bra, waving at the leaving car, already turning to the road, gone in a minute.

"Gotta tell you, I'm getting older for this." Lottie grabs the key to the room she tried to open it earlier, screaming when she finally walks through the door at the sight of one female bloody dead body disfigured into the floor, just in time of her co-worker who was about to take the trash, to find another body, now a male, twisted inside the trash can, blood mixed with trash and even rat but what stands out in the middle of it, it was a clearly expensive snake-shaped golden hairpin left forgotten and bloody on the bottom of the bin, unknowingly it dropped when the body was discarded in the middle of the night. 

"Can you turn on the radio?" Salem asks looking on the rearview mirror, taking a deep breath as Negan drove fast as the wind through the empty road. "Thanks…" she lays her chin on her hand, licking her thumb and cleaning a spot of dry blood on her forearm, not really sure of who it belonged to. "Leave it!" 

"What?" Negan plays dumb after turning down the volume to a song he was very fond of it. 

"I like it." She protests, pouting until her turns the volume up again, already singing along with the song, Negan's worst fear coming to reality, Salem really was a terrible singer. "...you keep playing where you shouldn't be playing, and you keep thinking that you'll never get burnt hah!" 

"I'll turn this shit off if you don't shut the fuck up." He threatens, holding back his laughter at her horrible singing. "I mean it!" 

"These boots are made for walking, and that's just what they'll do. One of these days these boots are gonna walk all over you…" the rest of the lyrics remained unknown, forgotten to her so she just hummed the melody instead. 

_Where the hell I heard this before_ ? He asks himself as she alternates between singing and humming. _No...no fucking way_ . Negan turns to the side, to face the woman sitting on his passenger seat, dancing and having fun clueless to what he had just put together quietly inside his head. _It can't be...that doesn't mean anything Negan. Let's not...get ahead of ourselves, take a deep fucking breath... let's think this through._

He would have to find concrete proof of her involvement that night at the hospital, but he was dead sure it was the same hum he heard across the hall, from the nurse that never brought him pudding. Negan was so fucking sure that he almost pulled over and arrested her right there, for being a lying bitch...yes, he probably couldn't charge her of anything at the moment but he was sure, so fucking sure she was that night at the hospital. _Simon was right, so fucking right about her._

"You look tense, Negan." She asks noticing how hard he was gripping the steering wheel, his knuckles even turning white at the strength he was putting on that wheel. He jumps at her voice, pulling him out of his thoughts. "Something's wrong?" 

"No...not at all." His voice is low and sharp, he has to clear his throat, to force the words to come out. "I think I just cracked a case."

"That would be a first…" Salem chuckles, lighting up a cigarette, looking over the window, feeling the wind on her hair, closing her eyes at the nice sensation, completely unaware of Negan's death glare around her, his jaw clenched so tight, he was doing his best to keep the car in a clear straight line when all he could see was red, but he had to make this the right way, so she couldn't walk out without a single chance, so he just turns the volume up, to muffle down his intrusive thoughts of violence. 

_Got you, bitch._ **_I fucking got you._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hehehehhe
> 
> You know what they say: confidence - is the food of the wise, but the liquor of the fool and let's say Salem is the biggest fool of them all lol 
> 
> Hope you guys liked this chapter, I'm not used to write smut scenes, it's hard for me to find the right words in English, so I'm sorry if it was bad, I'm trying to get better at it. 😬
> 
> Anyways, next chapter they found out who broke into her place, Negan tries to catch her red handed, they (or at least try to) check the messed up security footage and someone falls into a trap. 
> 
> Thanks so much for reading, please let me know what you guys think so far! 
> 
> See you soon! Byeeeee 💖✌🏼💖


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Helloo! Guess what? Quarantine is about to be extended here in Brazil so more time for me to write. 
> 
> Today is a double chapter day! 
> 
> Hope you guys like. 
> 
> Enjoyyy

"You're awfully quiet…" Salem asks limping out of Negan's car, looking up at her building, a police car already parked by it. "What's the matter?" 

"Nothing." Negan says it dryly, looking around, suspiciously even. "Just... wanna get this shit over with." 

"You and me both." She rolls her eyes, thinking he was simply playing the usual detached role after sex kinda guy, unaware that he was actually boiling inside for figuring out she was at the hospital the night the shooter mysteriously died, he just couldn't bring her in, yet. After all, what was he going to say, that he heard her humming a song? Even he knew that it wasn't going to stick in court. So he had to play smart, gather around the needed information and proofs. What he didn't know is that she wasn't going to make it easier, aware of his intentions or not. But we all learn best from the hard way so…

"Mrs. Swanson!" She greets coming up the stairs, Negan right behind her, carrying her bag. "Hi, is everything-" 

"Oh sweetie, I'm so glad you're okay! God knows what could've happened if you were home. I only got a glimpse, there were four of them, my sight gets worse by the day you know..." 

"Four?" Salem curses mentally.  _ Holy shit, they really were after me.  _ "Wow...hm, are you alright? Did they saw you?" 

"No, no. Benny was around, he told me to stay out of it."

"Smart kid." Negan says patting the old lady's shoulder, walking inside Salem's apartment, already taking the information in with the two officer's inside. "Gentlemen's, how's going so far? Any leads?" He strolls in, taking the coffee cup out of officer Brian's hand and sipping on it. "Brian if I do recall, you were supposed to patrol this area…" 

"Yes, sir...but hm, she wasn't in so I figured…" 

"You figured it was okay to leave the post...and look what the fuck happened huh?" 

"I'm sorry, sir." Brian looks scared, distressed with Negan's proximity. "It won't happen again." 

"You damn right it won't." Negan smiles and it's scary to point to make Brian take a step back. "So, now we are settled, talk me through this shitty mess." Salem's house was turned upside down, her clothes, shoes, scattered around the house. Books were ripped open, trinkets, mirrors were broken, like if they were looking for something. Or someone. 

"OH GOD!" Negan suddenly hears a shivering scream and rushes to where it came from. "GOD, NO!" 

"WHAT HAPPENED?" He asks noticing Salem kneeling on the ground, looking devasted. 

"I can't believe this, I fucking loved this coat." He rolls his eyes, taking a deep annoyed breath. "And this one, God, who could've done such atrocity?" 

"Lucy, is just clothes. You can always get it-" 

"Not this one, it's vintage. Handmade and irreplaceable..." She sniffed. "Why horrible things happen to good people? Oh...the injustice." 

"Look!" Negan claps, catching her attention. "We need to get the story here so if you could stop crying over a fucking piece of fabric, that would be great." 

"... you're right." She nods, still holding the coat in her arms, like a baby. "We need to find who did this."  _ And rip them apart, just like they did to my clothes _ . "Are your people done here? I would like some alone time."  _ I need to mourn this properly _ . 

"Here? You're insane? What if they come back?" Brian suddenly asks, behind Negan, trying to be a good shoulder to cry on. "You shouldn't be alone here, it's too dangerous." Negan looks back at him, glaring, strangely more mad about his other intentions with her than with his interruption. 

"She's not alone." A too familiar deep velvety voice chuckles, hiding his inner discontentment. "Came soon as I got your text."  _ I did not text him, he's just fucking nosy.  _

"Frank." Salem fakes a surprise, pretending to be happy to see Billy standing there. "How wonderful to see you."

"Come on, grab your things." He grabs her arm, making her stand up, hissing with the sudden weight on her ankle, he's then hugging her tight, more as a punishment than as comforting. "You're staying at my place." She could tell it was not up to discussion so Salem smiles and begins to pack for what it's left of her clothes, making sure to grab everything that could possibly frame her, such as wigs and her computer, that was actually taken, the knives and guns were safely hidden and she could tell the second she got in there, that whoever barged in, failed to find them.  _ Thank fuck! _

"This is a crime scene, you can't just walk in here." Negan clears his throat, measuring Russo, he hated how polished and fresh-looking out of a magazine  _ Frank _ always looked. Not to mention what Brian told him the other day, about how he was taking care of her. _ Wait a damn minute...if he was here, and she was clearly at the hospital, that means they are in this together. Partners maybe. He's also involved in this shit.  _ "I'll have to ask you to wait outside." 

"I rather wait here." Billy takes a step closer, measuring Negan back. "You see, if this happened when one of your patrols supposed to be here, protecting her, God knows what else could happen right?" 

"And where were you, Ken doll? Huh?" Negan chuckles, leaning back. "Combing your hair?" 

"Okay…" Salem rolls her eyes, placing two large bags in Billy's arms. "I got most things. Right now at the moment, I can only miss my computer."  _ That's fine, that's totally fine. I didn't have anything that could frame me there...did I?  _ "But I really don't want to bother you, Frank. I can stay in a hotel, no worries."

"Nonsense." He smiles, throwing it over his shoulder. "You know I don't take no as an answer, Lucy." 

"How rapey of you." Negan scoffs, checking his phone, missing Salem's little side smirk and Billy's clenched jaw. "Be sure to give me the address when you get there, Lucy. There's still some business we need to discuss." 

"Yeah, right. I'll call you." She states patting his shoulder. "Brian, other guy I don't know and don't care about the name. Thanks for nothing." 

"Don't be a brat, I'm sure they did the best they could." Billy groans at her childish behavior. "Come on, let's go. You look like you could use a shower, you smell of cheap motel and poor decisions." He teases, clearing trying to get to Negan, immediately succeeding, the scowl on his face leaving no room for doubts. "But not to worry. I'm here now. Come on." He chuckles, pushing her outside, winking at Negan one last time before leaving the place. 

Negan looks outside, Russo's car was parked across the street, he takes a mental note of his license plate, texting it to Simon, to have a look at it later. 

When he looks up again, he catches a glimpse of what it seemed an argument between the two, Russo was running his hands through his hair, immersed in what he assumed, a deep state of distress while Salem had her hands up, as if she tried to explain herself.  _ What the hell are they talking about?  _

Next thing he sees is him shaking her shoulders roughly, screaming at her face, furious, he then looks up, like if he felt a pair of eyes on them, Salem does the same, turning around and waving, smiling like there was nothing wrong, entering the car a second later.  _ Who is that guy?  _

\----------------

"I could use a shower, will you run the bath for me?" Salem tries to dodge the scolding she knew it was coming. "My ankle is killing me."

"What the hell were you thinking?"  _ Here we go. _ "Killing not one, but two strangers for no apparent reason and-"

"Okay, first of all. They had it coming." She raises a finger, interrupting him. "I had no choice and yes, I mean, leaving that fabulous hairpin behind was a mistake but it's not like they can pin me there. Got it?" She snorts laughing at her own joke but he doesn't follow behind. "Yeah, bad timing, I see it now. You're right, I'm sorry."

"How long till they come after you?" 

"I mean...I can always say it was stolen by them! And there were no security cameras, no witness, and I'm pretty sure I have a very hard solid alibi." 

"You have got to be kidding me." Russo groans when he gets what she means, rolling his eyes disgusted. "Him? Really?" 

"What? You know how I get after killing, he was there and one thing led to another, next thing I knew his dick-"

"Okay that's enough!" He gets up, walking towards his bathroom, turning the faucet on. "I'm sure you have... whatever shit you always call of motives, but what was it this time? They were playing bad music and woke you up?" Russo laughs of the ridiculousness of this idea but she gets quiet, when he looks over the door, she has a guilty expression, rolling a strand of hair around her finger, checking the ends. "Salem?" 

"Yes?" 

"Please don't tell me you killed two people over bad music…" 

"I did not killed two people over bad music." She mumbles guilty and he sighs, recognizing the lie on the spot. "Okay, fine! I did killed two people over bad music but in my defense, it was LOUD, like really fucking loud bad music. And that bitch had the nerve to swing at me, daring me to fight her when I asked, politely may I add, to turn it down. What the hell was I supposed to do?...say no?" 

"YES!" He shouts, his voice cracking with the frustration. "YES, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT YOU SUPPOSED TO DO! ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE WAS A GODDAMN POLICE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER SLEEPING IN THE ROOM NEXT TO YOU!" 

"...when you say it like that…" Salem lowers her eyes, recognizing it was out of stupidity, even sloppiness the little stunt she had pulled. "But I wasn't thinking straight, I was tired and she was very rude. And...and that, bum of a guy she was with, stoned as fuck, came back just in time and I couldn't afford to have a witness so I went after him. And he wouldn't shut the fuck up so...I had to shut him up somehow..." 

"By stabbing his chest several times with that limited edition overpriced hairpin I bought you when we went to Barcelona?" She nods a yes, an expression of fake regret across her face. "Ten times?"

"Slip of the hand?!..." Salem shrugs, limping to his direction and he raises a finger, stopping her in place, still to furious to function. "Look, no one saw me. The only thing they have is that hairpin and they were two crackheads, they could very much well stollen that, I will say I dropped it when I was out for fresh air IF they ever come to me." 

"What makes you think they wouldn't?" 

"Because that was a really gorgeous unique overpriced hairpin, if the wrong, or in that case, the right person was to found it, I'm sure they would think twice before handing over to the police." 

"Don't count on it." Russo ponders the idea, knowing damn well that was definitely something she would do. "On a second thought…"

"You know what they say…" She smiles, trying to charm him again. "While there’s life, there’s hope."

"Two people are dead." He scoffs, trying to put some sense back into her head. "If there's anything left there, it's definitely not life."

"Have I ever told you how funny you are?" Salem strips off her shirt, going to his shower first, she hated to simply jump into a bathtub, it was like soak up in her own dirt in her mind. 

"Only when you know you're in trouble." Russo leans in against the door, knowing damn well about her intentions of distracting him. "Not gonna work this time, doll face." 

"You sure about that?" She chuckles, stealing his shampoo, lathering all over her hair. "I could use a hand…" Russo closes his eyes, taking a deep breath and she immediately knew she had won.  _ Still fucking got it.  _

"...screw it." 

\-----------------

"So, what you got on the license plate?" Negan asks entering Simon's apartment, he was by the stove cooking up something that smelled horrible. 

"What up, yes Simon, I'm so pleased you're okay, sorry for not texting you back last night." Simon mocks him, and continues his poor attempt of cooking. 

"What the hell you're talking about?" Negan frowns confused. "I ain't got not text of you." 

"Oh didn't you? I told you I had something on Lucy and I never heard from you back." 

"What?" He fishes the phone out of his pocket and checks for the texts, the was nothing he missed. "See it for yourself, I ain't got shit!" 

Simon grabs his phone and reads the text exchange, then pushes his own phone over. "Here it says you not only opened it, you read it." 

"But I didn't!" Negan bangs his hand on the balcony, frustrated. "What if she did?" 

"What?" 

"Simon, what if she was the one who got the text?" 

"What? Don't tell me you left your phone with her." 

"No! But when I was showering, I left my phone outside…" He bangs his hand again. "IDIOT!" 

"Calm down, you can't know that! And doesn't you have a password on your phone anyway?" 

"Yes I do...but it's not like... uncrackable." Simon smirks, knowing his friend well. 

"6969? Still? Come on…" 

"Yours is 1234 so don't get me fucking started!" They both hold their laughs in only to be taken over by concern. 

"I got the security footage of the gallery she went a few days ago...maybe we can see if she's lying or if really there was some creep there." Negan grabs Simon's computer, turning it on. "Simon you've got to stop with that goddamn porn subscription!" He cleans his hand on his pants, disgusted by the stickiness. 

"Shut up!" Simon laughs stirring the shit he was cooking. "Just put the CD on, let's watch some footage."

"I did...it's not working." Negan removes the CD and rubs it against his shirt, cleaning it. "Here we go…" he tries again. The switch CDs, trying with each and every one of them. "None of them are working, what the fuck?" 

"I think I know why…" Simon raises a CD, looking through the light. "It's scratched. All of them. See?" 

"What?" He grabs the CD and checks. Big scratches were covering each and every one of them. 

"I assumed you left them outside too…" 

"THAT FUCKING BITCH!" Negan begins to curse Salem, or in that case, Lucy. "THAT LYING PIECE OF TRASH?" He curses her, her relatives, her ancestral, everything and everyone related to her, he was furious, thinking about how could he access the footage without setting off an alarm on Rick's desk. "5 MINUTES, I WAS GONE FOR 5 FUCKING MINUTES!" 

"Yeah...I figured."  _ This is going to be a long night.  _

\--------------------

"What do you mean I'm not working alone in this case?" Salem whines when Russo turns off the phone, it had been a few days since her apartment was raided and no luck in finding who did it. Yet. "You know I don't do teamwork unless there's a threesome involved!" 

"If you wanna complain, go to your dear old dad, I'm not the guy...what the hell do you mean by threesomes?" 

"Figure of speech." She sits on the bed, reading the file, rolling her eyes. "I can do it alone!" 

"Not this one, apparently he's going to surrounded at all times by at least 4 bodyguards, not to mention the event's security itself. You're going with two other partners." She hated to admit by the heavy security was an issue. "He's a tech mogul, and apparently the old fuck has a thing for young bendy ballerinas, find a way to sneak in the backstage, you're going to pretend you're an scouter for new upcoming talents."

"Swan Lake?" Salem asks excitedly. "Oh, I was dying to get to it but-" 

"Salem, focus. You can't screw this up, especially when we are off to somewhere later." 

"Where?" 

"...I don't know, yet." 

"Ugh, what do you know?" She gets up from the bed, flexing her ankle, much better by now. "So, how are we entering there?" 

"Nick is going as the Russian strict bitter coach and you and Tati are going as his old students, now retired ballerinas." 

"Nick and Tati? Never heard of any of them." 

"And there's a good reason for that. They usually stay by-" Russo stops when he notices he's oversharing. "Actually, you don't need to know that. All you need to know is that he's gotta have a heart attack, a fall from the stairs if you know what I mean." 

"Yes…" 

"Salem, I need you to make this right. Not one drop of blood." 

"Fine! Just make sure my partners are also aware of this." 

"They are. In fact, I set up a meeting for you three, to run over the details." 

"A meeting?" She scoffs, looking for something to eat. "What are we? Twelve?" 

"... need I remind you of the two bodies just waiting for-"

"Fine! No need for reminders." 

"Great, that's more likely." He pats her back, caressing her hair. "Go get ready, Nick hates those who are late." 

"I already hate Nick." Salem mumbles under her breath, getting ready for the so-called meeting.  _ Why haven't my dad returned any of my calls? Am I really that unbearable? _

Salem is sitting by the bar Russo randomly chosen for the meeting, waiting for her co-workers to arrive, pretending to read the menu when a familiar voice calls her out. 

"Look what the cat dragged in." She curses Russo out mentally and turns around smiling, pretending everything was okay. "Lucy. How are you doing in this damn fine night?" 

"Peachy, just peachy." Salem blinks in surprise, not only Negan was standing there, on the verge of drunkness, Amber, that blonde girl from self-defense class was also there, hanging on his arm like a parrot. "Good to see you, Allie." 

"It's Amber, actually." Amber corrects her, pointing up her nose and Salem just nods, not paying attention. 

"... lovely. Anyways, I'm actually waiting for some friends so feel free to-"

"Speaking of waiting, I never got your recent address." 

"Well, have you got any progress on finding who butchered my place?" 

"No…" Negan looks rough, like he barely was getting any sleep, or solid food at all, so it's not like he was at his sharpest state to have a conversation with someone like Salem. 

"Figured. So, when or if you do, give me a call and I'll stop by the station. Frank's not into having his place watched." 

"I wonder why." He suddenly sounds very much sober, taking her by surprise but Nick and Tati are walking in the place and they are just like Salem pictured, tall, slim and crazy looking _. Russo is trying to get me killed, Lord bear me patience.  _ "How's your ankle?" 

"Uhm, perfect. Look, nice seeing you two but my friends are here. Enjoy your evening. Detective. Amy." 

"It's Amber!" The blonde one whines as Salem walks past them, to sit by the bar, where two people were already waiting, anxious hands tapping on the wood. "What a bitch." 

"Tell me about it." Negan is now back on the soberness, having to fake it the drunkness only to have her lower her guard. "Let's sit over there." 

"Why are we here anyway?" 

"I wanted to get a drink. Sit down and shut up." Actually Negan was walking by when he saw her sitting alone by the window, next thing he knows he was already walking into the place, as if was by instinct. "Go get us the menu." 

"...okay." Amber stands from their seat and walks to where the menu is laying, by the bar, right in the middle of talking three. When she leans in to get it, the man flinches on his seat, earning a giggle from Salem, who grabs all the menus, holding onto them as Amber tries to pull one out of her grasp. "Excuse me?" 

"You know it's rude to interrupt a conversation right?" Negan can hear her teasing Amber from his seat.

"You know I don't care right?" Amber copies the answer Salem gave her once and pulls out a menu, walking back to the table. "She's unbelievable, I swear. Baby, let's go somewhere else." 

"What were they talking about?" 

"What?" 

"When you went there, what did you hear?" Negan repeats himself, his eyes still on the trio by the bar. 

"I don't know, something about Lucy's dad." 

"What were their exact words?" 

"Why are you so interested in this?" 

"Damn it, Amber!" He bangs his fist on the table, earning a look from the three. "Just tell me." 

"The strange-looking dude said something like: you don't look like your dad and then she said she was adopted." 

"Adopted." Negan frowns confused, not remembering reading anything from her file about her parents. "Adopted…" 

"Yes, can we order now?" Amber pouts annoyed but he ignores her, standing up and walking towards the bar, Salem turns her head and curses under her breath. 

"Here we go…" 

"Lucy, got a minute?" He asks invading their personal space, getting a good look at both of her so-called friends. 

"Hm... not really, detective." She finishes her drink, signaling for them to stand from their seat. "Actually, I was leaving, this place is too crowded anyway." Negan grabs her arm, stopping her to leave. 

"It won't take long." He insists, getting closer and she turns her head, nodding, the two waiting outside. "Nice pair of friends you got there. Where did you meet them? NA?" 

"First of all, that's rude and you shouldn't joke about that." Salem pokes his puffed chest. "Second of all, it's not relevant to my break in case is it?" 

"You're on the defensive." He notices and she gulps. "Why is that?" 

"You know what?! I think you should spend more time with that bimbo of a date over there and less time worrying about who I am having drinks with, Romeo. Less talky-talk, more solvey-solve." Salem puts on her jacket as Negan stares down on her, his hazel eyes burning through her.  _ God, she's so fucking annoying _ . "Anyways, detective, you have my number, when you're done being an obsessive creep and finally get a breakthrough my case, feel free to call." 

"You're adopted?" He blurts out, trying to get a proper response for once. 

"Yep. Ditched on a basket and all, just like Moses himself." Salem looks over to the side, glaring at Amber.  _ Big mouthed nosy ass bitch.  _ "Anything else?" 

"What happened to your parents?" Negan asks hoping to get a name so he could have his research done but she notices Nick and Tati getting anxious outside. 

"Look, it was nice seeing you but I gotta go." She flips her hair out of her jacket and checks the time, going outside, Negan follows her but stops when she turns around to face him, if what she said next was a threat or a warning, he wasn't sure. "Stop following me or you're going to get hurt. I mean it." Salem leaves him hanging and walks past the two, both of them immediately following her, not before exchanging hatred glances at him. 

_ What the hell was that?  _ Negan stands in place, Amber hugging him from the back, craving attention. 

"Forget about her, baby." She purr, stroking his back and he can't help it to remember Lucy's sharp nails tearing his skin a few nights ago. "She's just being a stuck up bitch, let's go."

"Amber...will you shut the fuck up? You don't know shit about her."  _ And apparently neither do I.  _

\-------------

"Why is that cop after you?" Tati asks on the way home, she was walking them to their hotel, they already had the whole plan run down.  _ A really cheap shitty one may I add _ . 

"Don't worry about it. I got it covered." 

"We should just kill him to prevent us from future problems." Nick seems to already have it planned. 

"You won't do no such thing!" Salem scoffs. " **He's mine** . If it comes to the point where we have to eliminate him, I'll do it. Are we clear?" 

Both Nick and Tati stare at each other in confusion, Salem's reputation in the company was of someone ruthless, impulsive but always got the work done. Not to mention her father was the one in charge at the moment. 

"Hello, Chucky? Bride of Chucky? Are we clear or do I need to repeat myself here?" She was known as an obnoxious asshole. But at least she was fun. They both nod, eager to get the work done, and come back to their usual place. "Perfect. Enjoy your evening, Billy will get in touch, see ya." 

As she walks away from them, putting on her headphones, thinking about what she was going to eat on the way home, Nick and Tati stare at her through the hotel window. 

"I almost felt bad for her." Nick chuckles after snorting a line of coke that was laying on top of Salem's stolen computer. "But then that cop came along...shit. It's a shame though." 

"Who would guess huh? Boss's daughter talking with the police." Tati sharpens the knives they plan to use on the job. "No wonder he's dying to get rid of her."

"So we got it settled then?" Nick lays down, looking up to the ceiling, a picture of Salem on his nightstand. "At the ballet, after we handled the target...she dies." Tati nods, agreeing with him. 

"She dies." 

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Salem :/ 
> 
> Walls are closing in on our girl and it's Negan's fault (well, part of it) lol 
> 
> See you next chapter!


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! 
> 
> Second chapter of the day! 
> 
> TW: This chapter has mentions of sexual assault and violence

"Morning Rick, what can I do for you today?" Negan asks when he walks in late in the precinct.

"Figure you would at least had the consideration to show up in time on your friend's first day back but...here we are." 

"Simon is back?" He drops his stuff on his desk, walking towards the cafeteria, where Simon was surrounded by his colleagues, making up stories about how he jumped in front of the bullet for Negan. 

"Not one minute in and you're already making up lies about me?" Negan rushes to greet him. "Good to have you back, man." 

"Ahh don't tell me you missed me?" 

"How could I?" They actually met a lot of times outside work, Negan would stop by to check upon him. But in reality he was trying to get himself occupied, so he wouldn't have to think about Lucy and about she was ignoring him. Well, not ignoring, she simply didn't come after him as he expected her to. And he had no success on the license plate, it was rented so no new information on the case. He was legitimately stuck. "So…

"Have you heard from her?" 

"Who?" He tries to play it off but the image of her immediately pops on his mind. 

"You know who." Simon doesn't let it slide. "Look, maybe I was wrong. It's not like we can put her in any of the murders and you were stressed that day...what guarantee we have that it was actually her on the hospital that night? And that motherfucker died of a heart attack didn't he?" 

"I know what I heard!" Negan pours himself some coffee. "No, there's something off about her. And that goddamn Frank too. I can fucking feel it." 

"Aren't you just...I don't know. Jealous?" 

"Don't be so ridiculous. Come on, Rick's calling us."  _ Jealous...yeah. Right.  _

"Now that we have everyone here...thanks for joining us Negan." Rick teases him as he turns off the lights. "We have some news about Simon's shooter." Simon and Negan exchange worried glances. "We had his autopsy remade and apparently he died of arterial air embolism." 

"And?" 

"And that means that someone injected a huge amount of air in one of his arteries, causing his heart attack." Rick sighs. "We got another murder case in hands." 

Negan turns around to face Simon with his least friendly expression. A silent  **I told you so.**

"Okay...maybe I was wrong. Where is she?" 

"That what I would like to fucking know." 

\-------------------

"Look, all I'm saying is that there's something fishy on this story." Salem says as she puts on her outfit for tonight, a white velvety dress, high heels, and a black luxurious faux fur coat. "I never heard of any them, how do I know I can trust them to have the job done?" 

"You don't have to trust them." Russo helps her to make the right knot on her tie. "It was your dad's call. Trust him." She raises a suspicious brow. "What?" 

"He hasn't returned any of my calls. Not one. It's like he's avoiding me." Salem admits and Russo frowns in confusion. 

"Since when you care about that?" 

"Since he's the only family I have left." Russo grabs her face, staring deep in her eyes, she suddenly gets uncomfortable, she wasn't used to let anyone get to her emotional side, so she clears her throat, trying to change the subject as quickly as possible. "You know what, forget it, my period is coming up and

"Who looks out for you? Huh?" He asks stroking her face, being careful with her red lipstick. "Me, I do. So don't worry about that. I'm sure you'll meet him soon." 

"I just...I'm getting tired. This is fun to a point but I would like to see the world without having to sneak out every fucking time." 

Russo strokes her hair, suddenly feeling bad for her but there was no turning back now and he knew it, once you were in, the only way of getting out was in a black body bag. 

"I see...Well, you do look amazing, as usual but you have to hurry. You're going to be late and-" 

"And Nick hates those who are late, I know." She rolls her eyes and checks her makeup on the mirror one last time, no wig this time, this was the last job before they parted their ways. At least was what she hoped for. "When I get back we can watch that tv show you won't shut up about it. The one with the zombies and shit." 

"I wouldn't worry about that." 

Salem chuckles, making sure everything is packed on her purse before walking out into the parked car by the street. 

"You're late." It is the first thing Nick says the second she enters the car. 

"Yeah but I look damn good to make it up for it. Can you say the same, Nicky?" Tati chuckles in the front seat, murmuring something Salem couldn't quite catch. "Let's just...get this shit over with." 

"My pleasure." Nick spits starting the car, leading the three to the soon to be deadly event. 

\-------------------------

"For the last time, I don't know what else to tell you!" The bartender sighs, annoyed by all the questions Negan was throwing him. "They sat down, took one drink each, the black-haired girl paid up and they left." 

"Look, pal!" Simon insists, pouring himself a drink. "It's literally a matter of life or death but you need to start to remembering details about them, and you gotta do it fast." 

"I don't know what they were talking about, they kept it really low!" 

"Goddamn it, kid!" Negan bangs him against the counter. "Those people are probably up to no good but that doesn't even compare to what I'm going to do with your sorry ass if you don't let out SOMETHING that can help us to find them!" 

"Who the hell are you?" Jim, the recently hired bartender tries to escape Negan's hands but there's no use. "I'm calling the police, let me go!" 

"Bitch, please. We are the fucking police." Simon laughs gulping down the drink. "Listen, I'm playing the good cop here and trust me, my friend over there, he's dying to let out his stress he saved up tracking that black haired bitch so if I were you, I would start talking or you're meeting the bad cop, very, fucking, soon." 

"Uhh, I don't know! I don't remember!"

"Think. HARDER!" Negan screams on his ear, tired of having her slipping from his fingers. 

"Uhh, shit! I, I-" 

"I'm going to count to three. If I don't get a fucking miracle, you can start thinking about how you're going to pay for the dentist cause I'm going to crack your fucking teeth!" 

"Please, don't...I-" 

"One." 

"God please I don't know!" 

"Two." 

"SIR PLEASE I SWEAR!" 

"Three." 

"WAIT!!!" Jim cries out, the sudden stress bringing up a memory he didn't remember having it. "WAIT! Something about a swan…" 

"A what now?" Simon chuckles, Negan still twitching. 

"I'm just gonna fucking do it." Negan raises his fist in the air and Jim sobs, begging. 

"SOMETHING ABOUT A SWAN, A LAKE I DON'T KNOW! THAT'S ALL I KNOW, PLEASE!" 

"You mean, Swan Lake?" Simon blurts out in a high pitched voice, confusing everyone. "That goddamn silly play that closed up the theater today?" 

"I don't know! The guy let it slipped at some point those two words and that's all I got to hear before you came interrupting their conversation." 

"Jim, are you telling me everything you know?" Negan twists his arm behind his back, trying to squeeze out the truth. 

"Yes, yes! Please! They left soon, that's all I heard. Please!!!" 

"Okay...okay." He looks up at Simon, who already had his phone out, putting Jim's words to test. "So?" 

"I fucking knew it!" Simon snaps his finger, turning the cracked screen to Negan. "I heard on the radio today on my way to the station!" 

"God fucking dammit, Si, I have never been prouder of you!" 

"Well...I did just jumped in front of a bullet for you just a few days ago…"

"We both know that was not how shit went down." He slaps Jim's face, fixing the messed up clothes. "Jim, you just saved our fucking night. Thanks." 

"Can I go now?" Jim cleans up the snot of his nose, on the verge of real tears. 

"Of course, of course...just one more thing...any word to anyone about what happened here...I'll come back, and I'll make sure that dentist of yours gets a visit. Are we clear?" He smiles, leaning back and Jim nods desperately. "Good boy." 

"Thanks for the drink!" Simon leaves a five dollars tip on the jar, raising the glass. 

"Let's go, Si. We have a few nuts to crack." 

"I thought it was Swan Lake...not the Nutcracker." Negan takes a deep breath after Simon's comment, ruining his poor attempt of a ballet joke. "Oh, you were joking-" 

"...get in the fucking car." 

\-------------------

"Lighten up, Nick. You look like someone just cleaned up a bus station filthy toilet with a washcloth and jammed it down your mother's mouth." Salem teases as they make rounds around the party, trying to find the target. "Ooh, champagne! Thank you." She takes one glass from Tati's hand. "So...any news on the fucker yet?"

"He should be here any minute by now." Nick tries to remain calm but the task was getting harder by the minute. "Go mingle around, make yourself useful for once." 

"Oh... someone's bothered as fuck. For a second I thought you actually were in charge." Salem gulps down the champagne, checking the time. "But okay...I'm going. You two are such bore anyway." She walks away, grabbing another glass of champagne, trying to relax a little, something deep inside her made her tingle, like the feeling you get when you know something is about to happen. "Violetta?" 

"Yes, who's asking?" A girl asks when Salem grips her arm right before she enters the backstage. 

"Hi! I'm Rosie Jochovich, huge fan. I know you're probably busy right now but I would love to have a word with you, it's a work opportunity." 

"Uh...sure. You can talk while I put the white swan makeup." 

"Perfect!" Salem follows her, sitting by the chair next to the lead ballerina. "Are you nervous?" 

"I mean...yeah of course. It's the biggest show I've done so far. But you said you had a work offer. I'm listening." Violetta asks some questions to which Salem lies about a wonderful program back in mother Russia, where Nick as his fake character, taught exquisitely. "Wow...that sounds amazing! Can you introduce me to him?" 

"I'm the one who should be asking you this question, silly sue!"  _ Ah...to be a white swan, all free and innocent, not a care in the world.  _ "Just one thing, but this is off the records because I heard and thought you should know." 

"What is it?" Salem proceeds to make up some lies about the target, paint him as an investor, interested in her work only. "So you think if he approaches me, I should go with him? Uh...I don't know Rosie, my parents aren't here yet, they're going to be late as usual, they have to work till late to pay for the classes, the costumes...and I've heard stories, my mother always warned me about rich men and their fixation on- 

"If you want, I can go with you. You know, after I introduce you to Konstantin, we can meet him, I'll come with you if that makes you feel better."  _ Please say yes, please say yes, please say yes. _

"Really?"  _ Poor Violetta, only 15, naive, trusting...a true Odette. _ "Thanks! Thank you Rosie! But hm...why are you doing this? I mean, I know I'm good but-" 

"Let's just say no one ever made it easier for me...so why not?" Salem lights up a cigarette, taking a long drag, offering it to Violetta, who refuses, confused. "Yeah, right, you're a kid." She puts it down. "Ready to meet Mr. Konstantin?" The girl in the white swan costume nods excitedly. "Okay, let's go." 

As the two walk out of the backstage, Salem scans the room looking out for Nick and Tati and finds them waiting by the bar, the target finally entering the room. 

"Konstantin!" She smiles, kissing Nick's cheek. "This is the girl I was talking about, Violetta." Nick speaks in Russian and Tati jumps in, pretending to be his translator. "I was just about to introduce her to Mr. Luther, he's right over there." 

"Sure...go ahead, we'll catch up to you." Tati nods understanding what it meant. "We'll be right there." 

Salem grabs Violetta's hand, leading her to Luther R. Hale, the soon to be dead target, his security guards step in, closing the way but as soon Luther notices the ballet costume, he taps them on the shoulder, clearing the way. 

"And who are the two lovely ladies?" 

"Hi, I'm Rosie and this little angel here is Violetta. We are just getting some air, it's her first night here and-"

"You're nervous, aren't you princess?" Luther pretty much purrs like a cat, drooling over the underage girl and Salem never felt more content with a job. She usually didn't care about who they were, what they did, or etcetera. They were just names on a file, just a task to be accomplished. But every now and then, she would run into some filthy corrupts targets, so she would always take pride in those specific cases. It was like cleaning the room. "Why don't we talk in somewhere else... someplace private." 

Violetta looks up at Salem, big open sacred wide eyes, even at her naivety, she could tell the danger ahead being in a room with someone like him. "Rosie?"

"Yes but we don't have much time, Violetta here has a show to put on. Lead the way." She fakes niceness to the perverted piece of trash, his securities leading the way, she quickly turns her head back, warning her colleagues to stay in position and they nod back. 

"Rosie?" Violetta pulls Salem's dress, getting her attention. 

"Yes?"

"I'm nervous. I don't like him." 

"That's ok, Violetta. Neither do I. But don't worry, I got your back."  _ Poor kid... being used as bait. Shit, I feel like I'm the biggest asshole on earth right now.  _ "It's just 5 minutes of ass-kissing then you can go back to your pirouettes." 

"...okay."  _ Holy shit, are all kids this trusting? No wonder so many go missing _ .  _ If I ever have a kid, I'm going to teach him not to trust not even his own shadow...what the hell am I saying? Kids hate me, I would be a terrible mother.  _

"So, how did you two meet?" Luther asks pouring drinks in a large lounge room. 

"Me and my partners are trying to bring her to our company, I was just showing her around." 

"I see…" he sits down, looking up her up and down as Violetta wandered around the room, checking the statues. "And where are these partners you talk about?" 

"Downstairs. Konstantin can be a bit of a bitch when he's away from his home country. Vera is trying to ease his mood." 

"Really?" He signs to his bodyguards to go downstairs, to fetch them up, putting the theme music of the show and locking the door next.  _ Oh shit… _ " Violetta my dear, why don't you go ahead and rehearse your first act?" The ballerina glances at to what she figured it was a friend, as if she was asking for permission, Salem gives her a reassuring smile and the girl begins her practice. 

Luther watches lustfully as Violetta twirls and spin around the room, it's getting on the verge of unbearableness and Salem twitches on her seat, waiting for her partners to arrive. The three had to work as a team, two would have to hold him down as the other would force the pill down his throat. Salem was completely against it, it was a stupid plan but working in a trio, she was quickly outvoted and she wasn't actually in a place of making any demands with Russo or her dad, if only he would answer her calls. 

She checks on her watch and the show is going to begin in 15 minutes, which meant that Violetta's peers were already desperate after her. 

"How much?" Suddenly Luther asks, grabbing a checkbook from his pocket. 

"Huh?" 

"How much for you to drop the concern teacher act and leave me alone with Odette over there?" He almost drools, like a predator. "HOW MUCH?" 

She stands from the couch disgusted by him, dropping her coat on the ground, turning up the music, Salem sighs as she walks to a still clueless dancing, Violetta. 

"Violetta. Whatever happens, whatever you hear, just keep your eyes closed and keep dancing okay?" 

"What?" The girl looks over at the man, already taking off his jacket, clearly misunderstanding the whole situation. Salem took a mental note of the hidden gun on his inside pocket. "What's happening?" 

"Just...keep dancing okay?" Salem urges and Violetta seems to understand, still dancing but scared this time. 

"You know Luther…" she cracks her neck, walking slowly behind him, squeezing his shoulders as if she was to give him a massage. "I always loved the Swan Lake." 

"Me too." He moans as Salem works her way into his shoulders. "I always loved...shit, you have strong hands." She fakes some giggles, as Luther begins to loosen up his tie. "You know, maybe if we met a few years earlier…" Luther runs his hand on her forearm, being too proud to admit the massage was getting painful. "...you could've been my Odette. Huh? How about that?"

"Really? Fuck, yeah, well...that would never work." 

"Why not?" Salem hugs him from the back, her arm dangerously lowering to his neck. "Why not, huh?" 

"I was always Odile." She puts him in a chokehold and he immediately tries to escape, slapping her face, but he not only was he older and slower, but Salem was also absolute pissed off with the whole situation, the way her colleagues ditched her, the way he was a disgusting pig, the way she was left to do all the dirty work as her father sat in his bloody throne when she was the one who helped him get there in the first place, without him ever recognizing her work. _ Fucking piece of shit ungrateful fuck.  _

She raises her eyes to find Violetta frozen in place, her eyes tearing up as Salem struggled to keep that man in place. "Don't scream." It's all she says before snapping Luther's neck, her face scratched and bleeding from his nails. 

"You...you killed him!" Violetta sobs, panicking. 

"Look...I can explain but you have to be quiet." Salem approaches the kid. "He was going to hurt you, really bad…" Violetta runs crying, locking herself in the bathroom. _ GREAT, FUCKING GREAT! WHAT ELSE IS MISSING? _ A BULLET UP MY ASS? The door is kicked open, Nick entering the room, no sign of Tati. 

"What the hell happened here?" He asks with his pupils dilated. "Where's the kid?" 

"WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU TWO??!" Salem hisses, touching her face. "WHAT HAPPENED TO BE ON TIME?" 

"I am on time." Nick closes the door, crouching over Luther's dead body, laying him on the couch. "Nice work." He chuckles, cleaning the white powder from his nose.  _ Negan was right. Fucking NA. _

"Nice work? He was supposed to have a fucking heart attack! I had to choke him before he raped that girl!" 

"Wow… I guess he's right then." He mumbles under his breath. 

"Who's right? About what? Screw it, grab Tati, we have to go!" Salem tries to rush out of the door, grabbing her coat but Nick bangs it shut again. "NICK! WE DON'T HAVE TIME, WE HAVE TO GO! ARE YOU TRYING TO GET US CAUGHT?" 

"Of course not." He grabs the knife from his pocket and Salem immediately takes a step back. Nick swings at her, cutting the palm of her hand and landing a gut-wrenching kick on her stomach, Salem falls on the ground, the breath on her lungs suddenly gone, the urge of vomiting taking its place. "Don't take it personal, kid." 

"You know…" she drags herself through the carpet, burning her elbows in the process, kicking his knee with her high heel, making him grunt in pain, falling on top of her. "It kinda feels personal." Salem laces him with her legs, keeping him in place but he does manage open a cut on her leg. "Who paid you???" 

"You fucking... bitch!" Nick grunts as the air begins to escape his lung.  _ Thank God I never skip leg day.  _

"WHO PAID YOU?" A gunshot echoes in the room, even with the silencer, it was loud enough to make her slightly deaf for a second, Nick's body now lifeless on the floor. "Holy shit, Tati?" She gets up, standing with difficulty, the cut on her leg dripping bright red. "Where did you get this?" 

Tati points at Luther's jacket, scanning the room. 

"Well, I don't know what happened, he came to me!" 

"I know." Tati crouches by Nick's body, seeming disappointed. 

"Whatever, we gotta go!" Salem looks outside, four bodies by the door. "What the fuck did you do?" 

"He fucked up."

"No shit, Sherlock!" She glances downstairs and her stomach drops at the sight. _NOW WE ARE TRULY FUCKED!_ _HOW THE HELL DID HE FIND ME_? She closes the door again, dragging Nick's body to block the door. "Hey, Tati, let's get out by the window okay? I'll go first." The sound of a gun clicking stops her in place. _What. The. Fuck?_

"You're not going anywhere." 

"What is this? You two went rogue or something like that?" 

"Of course not...we actually tried to give you a peaceful death but you see...you weren't home." The woman seems to be completely pleased by Salem's surprised face. "I loved your clothes by the way."

"...so did I." Salem says between gritted teeth, the mixture of pain, anger, and even fear building up. "Who paid you? Russo?"

"Nope. Try again." Tati smiles, Salem's face immediately goes from anger, to confusion to sadness. 

"...no. He wouldn't." She whispers. 

"He did." 

"You're lying." Her eyes begin to tear it up and Tati laughs. 

"Am I?" The sound of voices and shouts by the door gets their attention and Salem leans in to grabs Nick's knife. "Come on Salem, haven't you heard? Never bring a knife to a gunfight?" Salem scoffs, the plan already made up her head. Fists are thrown against the wood and she immediately recognizes the booming voice at the door.  _ Showtime. Oh shit...I know I'm going to regret this...but it's worth the shot.  _ "I thought you were smarter than that."

"Bitch please, I am." Salem takes a deep breath, biting her lips and stabbing herself in the stomach, dropping to her knees, Tati lowers the gun in surprise, a disgusted expression across her face as she pulls out the knife, tossing into Nick's body direction. "NEGAN, HELP!" She screams desperately just in time the door is kicked open. 

"DROP YOUR FUCKING WEAPON!" Negan enters the room with Simon and the crew behind him.  _ Here's the cavalry. _ "DROP YOUR WEAPON OR I'LL SHOOT!" 

Tati squints her eyes, furious, quickly understanding what Salem had just done, she was playing the victim, the blood staining her white dress, the bodies on the floor and she being the only one with a freaking gun in the room, painted quite a picture. She was the killer and Salem was merely the victim. 

"YOU BITCH!" Tati points the gun to the bleeding girl on the floor but Negan is faster, gunning her down three times, her body falling lifeless on the floor with a loud thump.  _ My fucking fool of a hero.  _

"Lucy, are you okay?" He asks rushing to her side, grabbing her face, Simon by the door calling an ambulance. "What happened?" 

"I don't know!" Salem cries, actual tears of pain, both physical and emotional this time. "I was talking with him, the next thing I know he stabbed me! You were right, they were a bunch of crackheads!" 

He picks her up, blood lathering the both of them. Simon appears by the stairs, Violetta unconscious on his arms. 

"WHO IS SHE?" 

"Her name's Violetta, please help her! She's just a kid!" Salem still plays the victim part, her hands pressing her aching stomach tightly _. Goddamn it, I have to get out of here before she wakes up and rat me out.  _

"Just, hang in there okay?" Negan removes his leather jacket, putting on her shoulders as they clear the room to get outside. "Don't you fucking dare die on me, Lucille!" 

"What?" She coughs, getting dizzy with the blood loss. "Who?"

"Lucy, I said Lucy." He quickly corrects his mistake, hating himself for the mistake. "We are almost there, the ambulance is right over here." 

"Negan, please!" Salem lets herself be carried to the ambulance. "I don't wanna die. Please! I can't die now! Don't let me go, please!" She begs as he runs to the ambulance, confusion taking over his mind, fearing he made a mistake of distrusting her in the first place. "I don't wanna die!"  _ I have a vendetta to fulfill. And this one is fucking personal...dad.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dad's...am I right? lol 
> 
> Anyways, I'm already working on the next chapter. We'll get Salem stuck on the hospital and Negan trying to find out what the hell happened. 
> 
> Sorry for the fight scenes, I'm trying to get better at writing smut/fight scenes 
> 
> Don't forget to leave a comment, they mean a lot 😬
> 
> See you soon


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inhainn! 
> 
> It's been hard to write with everything happening around us, so much tragedy and injustice.
> 
> Hope this chapter can at least distract you guys for a few minutes, mental health has to be taken care of too, I personally feel drained by all the news, Twitter, Instagram...
> 
> Anyways, here's the new chapter

"What the hell happened there?" Negan asks Simon while they wait for the doctor with the news at the hospital. "Simon, what the hell happened there?" 

"I thought we had it all figured out, man." Simon whispers, looking over the sides. 

"Something's off, Si." Negan's leg was bouncing in place, anxiety filling his body. His shirt still stained with Salem's blood. "I was so fucking sure." 

"STAY THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME!" Salem screams so loud that they come rushing to her room, the nurse with her hands up in the air, slowly backing up against the wall. "GET OUT! GET THE FUCK OUT!"

"LUCY!" Negan calls her out. "Calm down, she's just trying to help you, do you remember what happened?" Salem takes a deep breath, her face scrunching in an expression of pain and anger. "You're safe here." She scoffs and lays down again on the bed, the nurse running off to get the doctor. "Care to explain what the hell happened there?" 

"Excuse me." The doctor, Hershel knocks on the door and enters the room. "You're awake, good. It's Lucy right?" Salem nods, her face still hard, as if she was the maddest she ever been. "Uh, good thing is the knife missed important organs but still was pretty...bad. So you have to lay low for a while."  _ Of course it missed, asshole. I'm not stupid.  _

"How long do I have to stay here?" She asks shifting in bed, uncomfortable. 

"A couple of days at least." Hershel frowns when she cusses under her breath. "Do you have anyone I can call? Any friends?" She looks up as if she was holding back her tears. "Family?" 

"No. I don't have any family." Salem dries the anger tears with the back of her hand and Negan notices how affected she seems to be. "Or friends." 

"What about Ken Doll? I'm sure he's-" 

"I said  **no** . I don't have or want to call anyone." Salem growls, annoyed. "Also, I don't feel like talking right now so if you all...can, leave. That would be fucking great." 

"We need to collect your statement actually…" Simon begins to say, ignoring her request and she suddenly wishes the bullet had actually killed him all at once. "If you cooperate, this will be quick and you can go back feeling sorry for yourself." 

"I don't think now it's a good time to pressure the patient." Hershel tries to calm the room, the tension filling in. "You can come back later, she's not going anywhere, right sweetie?" 

"Sure. I'm staying right here." Salem smiles nodding, already planning on how she was going to leave the place, Negan glares at her one last time, then pulls out his phone, already glued to his ear, pushing Simon off the room. "Hey, doc, is the kid, Violetta, okay?" 

"Uh, yes. They tried to question her but she's a minor so they have to wait for her parents to get here." 

"So, can I see her?" 

"I don't think it is a good idea, she's really scared, talking about someone named Rosie."  _ Holy shit I gotta hurry _ . 

"Please, I promise I won't be long." 

"Maybe tomorrow Lucy, her parents aren't going to be happy-" 

"Yeah yeah, I get it... can I have one of those?" Salem points to the lollipop filled jar and Hershel laughs, handing one over. "Thank you kindly." 

"You rest easy, careful with those stitches. I'll come by later okay?" 

"Okay…" she's already changing the channels on the TV, zapping through them until one of them catches her attention, biting and chewing the lollipop. "Holy fucking shit, I'm so fucking fucked." 

It was on the motel she was just a few nights ago, where she had sloppy killed two potheads who refused to turn the music down...and then proceeded to get her brains screwed out by Negan at the same night. They were talking about how their bodies were heavily disfigured and that there weren't no suspects. Yet.  _ Nothing about the hairpin tho.  _ "Thank you, Lord!" 

Walking slowly to the bathroom, flinching when she stood up straight, Salem checks herself in the mirror.

_ Okay, maybe Tati was lying, I have no reason to be this upset. I mean, he's my father. He would never have me killed...at least not by those two amateurs.  _

She splashes water on her face, trying to wake up, running her fingers through her undone hair.  _ I got this, I've been through worse. I fucking got this. I just need to get out of here then find a way to reach out to him... considering he's not returning any of my calls... fuck. That's doesn't mean anything. Focus. You need to get out of here before that girl rats you out. You fucking got this.  _

Coming back to the room, she takes a deep breath, the doubt still boiling inside of her mind.  _ Would he?  _ Pointing her head outside, she checks the halls, pretty empty by this hour, rolling the IV alongside with her, she walks through the halls, trying to find anything useful to get out. Walking past a room, she hears moaning through a door and stops, smirking.  _ God, thank you for horny bored people, they do make it everything easier.  _ Cracking open the door, she notices the cart by the door, packages of sealed fresh uniforms just laying there.  _ Jackpot _ . Stealing one and the shoes, larger than her actual size, she rushes back to her room to change. 

_ I'm already paying for my sins, look at this outfit _ . She scrunches her nose, carefully removing the IV and putting her hair up in a bun, trying to seem nurse like. 

_ This will never work _ . Salem hates herself for even waking up on that day and tries to find out where Violetta might be, it doesn't take long to her hear some nurses talking about the kid on said room so she tiptoes to the said place. 

"Knock knock." She enters the room, closing the door. "Wake up, sweetie. We need to talk." 

Violetta's eyes open wide, scared recognizing the woman standing in her room, not so threatening considering the way she was dressed now. 

"Rosie? Is that you?" Salem says nothing, just stood there, watching her. "You...you killed him! You killed him." The girl pulls the covers to her shin. "I saw." 

"Did you? Because the only thing I saw was how that filthy pig was planning on hurting you." Salem pulls a chair and sits, the stitches bothering her. "Your mom was right, V, there are bad people out there who would hurt something little and precious like you in a split second. Like that." She snaps her fingers, chuckling at how Violetta flinched. "But luckily for you, I'm not one of them."

"You're not?" 

"Of course not, silly. I would never kill a child, even I have my boundaries. But don’t tell anyone.." 

"Then why are you here?" Violetta seems to relax for a second. "What do you want?" 

"To apologize. I shouldn't have dragged you into this. It was a dick move and for that I'm sorry." 

"Really? That’s it?" 

"Yeah...and to show you this." Salem lifts the shirt, showing the freshly stitched wound on her stomach, Violetta gasps, covering her mouth. "Gross and cool right? I did it myself, it hurt like a motherfucker." The girl shivers when Salem checks the file by the bed, reading her personal information. "So if I did this shit to myself, you can only imagine what I'm going to do with mommy and daddy dearest if you ever talk about what you think you saw me doing." Salem's expression goes from friendly and warm to harsh and cold in a second. "Do you understand what I mean, white swan?" 

"Yes." Violetta sobs and Salem feels slightly bad for threatening a scared child but she has to cover her back if she plans to make it out alive. "Is your name even Rosie?" She asks, cracking her fingers anxiously and Salem ignores her. "I thought we were friends…" 

"Yeah...you don't wanna be friends with me, kid." Salem raises her brows as she writes down Violetta's address to prove her point, her stomach dropping with the child's naivety, packing some medicine and some bandages for later, she looks back at the scared kid laying on the bed one last time before walking out. "It's for the best, trust me." 

\----------------------

"What are you two doing here?" Rick asks when Simon and Negan come back to the crime scene. "Forensics isn't done yet." 

"I just need to wrap my head around what happened here." Negan interrupts him, walking to one side to another. "Something doesn't add up." 

"Have you tried to ask the victim?" 

"Oh, no, I haven't actually Rick. Geez, thank you." He rolls his eyes, annoyed and confused at the same time. "What the hell happened here…" 

"Negan, there's a call for you on the station." Simon says after turning off his phone but Negan completely ignores him. "Hello? Earth to Negan?" 

"Tell it I'll return it later, shit…" Negan had his hands on his waist, trying to wrap his head around what could've possibly had happened. "Something simply doesn't add up." 

"Maybe you two should take the night off, get some rest, you can get the statements tomorrow."

"Negan they're calling from the station.  **Again** ." Simon hands the phone over, annoyed with everything. "Just take the goddamn call." 

"What??" Negan growls on the phone. "Yes, so what?" He seems genuinely surprised by the information being given. "You have got to be fucking kidding me." 

"What is it?" Rick asks curious. "Something wrong?" 

"No... I'll be right there." He turns off the phone and sighs. "I...I gotta go." 

"What happened?" 

"I need to get to the station, there's a witness that I need to talk with." 

"Who?" 

"Apparently a girl that works in a motel I spent the night in a few days ago." 

"So? Just let someone else handle it." Simon rolls his eyes, clearly missing the point. 

"They found...uh, two bodies, both murdered on the same night I stay in with... Lucy." 

"...you're not thinking-

"Let's fucking go, and send an extra patrol to the hospital, I want her room covered from top to bottom." 

"Negan, Simon!" Rick calls them, still in the dark. "What the hell is happening here???" 

"Rick, we might've caught a killer so I need you to fucking trust me, just this one time." 

"You said that before, you know?"

"Yeah, but I didn't meant it back then." Negan chuckles, running through the stairs, rushing to get as soon as possible to the station.

"Who's in the station?" Simon asks while starting the car. 

"No one. I fucking lied." Negan has his phone on his hands, waiting. 

"What?" 

"I knew Rick wouldn't let us go if I said what really happened." 

"...so? Are you going to tell me or should I drum the goddamn rolls?" 

"They found the murder weapon, two bodies on that motel. On the same very night I spent there with that fucking bitch. Is too much of a coincidence." 

"You think she killed them?" Negan nods a yes, his eyes still glued to the screen. "Why?" 

"I don't know, why the sky is blue? She's a goddamn psychopath, that's why. I just need to know if the deaths are interlinked." 

"So where are we going?" 

"To the hospital, I'm going to get the truth out of her, one way or another." 

"Okay... I mean, you know I'm with you and all that but, uh, we don't have any concrete proof against her." Simon says, still apprehensive but Negan cracks one of his signature wolfish smiles, his eyes glistening staring at the screen. "Do we?" 

"See it for yourself." He turns the phone, proudly but Simon still doesn't seem to get it. "It's the murder weapon, Si." 

"...okay…" Negan rolls his eyes at the slowness of his friend. 

"Simon, I specifically remember her wearing that golden shit on her hair when we got there but not when we left." 

"Do you really think she used a hairpin to kill two people and just left it there? Just like that?" 

"...I thought you were with me on this shit.”

“I’AM!” Simon laughs, baffled by Negan’s conviction, honking at a taxi who turned left without signaling. “It’s just...you do realize if you’re wrong about any of this shit, we’re fucked, like, Rick won’t go easy on us.”

“Two things, I’m many fucking things and wrong is not one of them and second thing, pull over, we’re here.”

"Uh, excuse me? Visiting hours are over, you can't come in here!" A sleepy nurse mumbles when they rush past her, straight to Salem's room. "Excuse me!" 

"Call security!" Negan flashes his badge to the nurse, ignoring her protests. "Si…" he signs to Simon to stay by the door, the bed was unmade, empty and the bathroom door was closed, the water was running, he takes a deep breath, pushing the door open. "What...WHERE THE FUCK IS SHE?" He slams the door, running to the hall. 

"What's going on here?" Hershel rushes to the room accompanied by some security guards. "Would you keep it down, officer? Some people are trying to sleep-"

"Where is she? Where's Lucy?" Negan repeats himself, his gun still in hand, startling the doctor. "Did you...did you discharged her?" 

"What? No. She was nowhere near to be discharged." Hershel slowly puts on his glasses, reading her clipboard. "No, she wasn't released. Why?" 

"Because that girl is a complete psychopath and we're pretty sure she stabbed herself." Simon bangs his hand on the door, frustrated. "You, with me." He calls the security guards, ordering them around. 

"What did she say when you talked with her? Anything useful?" Negan takes a deep breath, trying to calm himself, his jaw on the verge of cracking from all that clenching. "Anything, really!" 

"No, not really. She seemed...normal. Wanted to have a word with the kid that came in...asked me for a lollipop." 

"Come fucking again?" 

"A lollipop, one of those-" 

"I FUCKING GOT IT! I mean it before, she wanted to talk with the kid?" Herself nods, clearly exhausted from his shift. "Why?" 

"I don't know, I said she couldn't talk with her until the parents arrived." 

Negan rushes through the hall, after Violetta's room. "Where's the kid?" 

"Third room on the left." 

"Hi, are you two the parents?" He doesn't even bother to say hi or anything, he goes straight to the point while Simon is checking the security tapes and having the exits checked. "We need to talk, is extremely important." 

"Hm, who are you?" Violetta's dad asks on the defensive, he and his wife came straight from work, completely exhausted from the hard hours they took to pay for their daughter's classes. 

"I'm detective Negan and we have reason to believe your daughter can help us with whatever shit show of a night happened today so let's everyone cooperate and this shit will go smooth as a dick, okay?" The man seems taken aback by Negan's language but decides not to say anything. "Okay. Hi, Violetta right?" 

"She's tired, maybe you should come back tomorrow." Her mother glares at him, still worried about everything. 

"No can fucking do because last time I let someone rest and came back later, that cat got away and now I'm trying to get it back so... Violetta, can you please, please tell me what happened tonight?" 

Violetta begins to pull and twist the blanket, nervous and scared, still affected by the threat to her parents just a few minutes ago. 

"I... I don't know. I don't remember." She looks down, avoiding his burning eye contact. 

"You know what, I think you not only remember exactly what happened but you do remember vividly." The girl's eyes go wide, surprised by his bluntness. "Come on kid, I know shit's scary but I can't help you if you don't help me. We need you." 

"I can't." 

"You can't? What you can't do?" 

"I can't tell you. Please, don't make me tell you…" she sobs panicking. "Please, Rosie said-" 

"Who's Rosie?" He asks, excited for finally getting somewhere. "Violetta, tell me, what did Rosie say to you?" Negan holds the girl's hand, trying to encourage her. "I'll protect you, you can trust me. What did she tell you?" 

"She showed me...her belly." Violetta's little hands rub her stomach, shivering. "She had an ugly mark, it had stitches...she said...she said-" 

"What did she said???" Negan insists, squeezing her hand harder than he intended to. "Trust me, please. I can help you." 

"She said she did it, she said she did it herself." Negan loudly claps his hands together, celebrating his secret victory as Violetta herself and her parents stared in surprise.  _ SUCK ON THAT, DICKHEAD. I KNEW SHE WAS UP TO SOMETHING...holy shit, hang on. Lucy stabbed herself?! _

__ "Hm...then... I, can you protect us?" She asks Negan, still unsure but he finally regains his posture back, getting serious again, nodding a yes. "She told me she did it herself and that it really hurt but for me...for me to picture what would she do with my mom and dad if she had done that to herself." 

"Wait, what?" Her father suddenly gets scared and furious. "WHO IS SHE AND WHY IS SHE THREATENING YOU?" 

"Shush, let her finish." Negan's eyes seem wolf-like, sharp and ready for the hunt. "Why did she say that to you?" 

"Because I saw...I saw her doing something bad. To that strange man...mommy she said you were right." Violetta begins to cry, the stress taking a toll on her young and innocent mind. "She said that there were bad people out there that would hurt me, like, really hurt me but that she wasn't one of them, so that's why she...she killed that man before he could do it." 

"...you saw...you saw Lucy, I mean, Rosie or what hell is that bitch's real name, kill that Luther guy?" Violetta nods, tears rolling down her eyes. "How did she do it?" 

"She got behind him, as if she was hm, hugging him and then she, oh God it was horrible, she put her arms around his neck and squeezed, she squeezed tight and didn't let go until he wasn't moving anymore. I asked her to stop but she didn't listen to me." 

"Who is she? Detective, are we in danger?" Her mother asks, holding her daughter on her arms. 

"I have no idea who she is but don't you worry, she isn't going to hurt anyone else. I'm going to catch her." 

"I thought she was going to be my friend…" Violetta admits, somewhat embarrassed. 

"Shit kid, you and me both, I thought we were going to be friends too."  _ But she did tell me we weren't going to be friends, direct and straightforward…fucking lying piece of hot ass psycho bitch, freaking lunatic.  _ "But people like that, they don't have friends… and even if she did, you wouldn't want to be friends with someone like that...it's for the best." 

"Hm, wow...actually, you do sound like her...she told me the exact same thing, Detective." 

\-----------------------

"Negan? Is that you?" Amber tiptoes to her front door, ruffling her blonde hair, trying to seem sexy, she looks through the peephole and only sees a huge vase of flowers standing there. "Finally." She opens the door, her smile and sexy persona immediately falling. "What are you doing here?" 

Salem cleans the sweat from her forehead, the painkillers were running off and she had to plan things if she wanted to make it alive to her revenge _. Vendetta, intervention, hell, meeting whatever you like to call, I need to lay low for a little while and what better place than the place Negan didn't dare to come in for commitment issues? I'm a fucking genius.  _

"Hi, blondie. Thought we could have a girls night."

"How do you know where I live?" _ Bitch, you can find almost anything on the hospital system, easy peasy, lemon sneaky. _ "And I'm not your friend so you can go now." Amber runs her eyes through her outfit and state and she instantly feels pleased, she did look like shit, pale, sweaty, a whole mess. "...what the hell do you want?"

"Right now…" Salem raises the gun she stole on her way out from a security guard while he took a shit on the nurse's bathroom. _ TMI probably but oh well _ . "I want you to sit the fuck the down and shut the fuck up." 

"WHAT THE-... I'M CALLING THE POLICE!" Amber tries to run off to her phone but Salem quickly slams the door, throwing the vase, crashing by her side, making her stand in place, paralyzed. 

"Don't you ever try to fucking run on me, cause I've got six little friends and they can all run faster than you." She aims at her knees, her face darkening. "Hand. It. Over." Amber pushes the phone to her direction, shivering.  _ Negan is on the speed dial?! Needy clingy bitch.  _

"And besides, Negan can't help us now, we have work to do and he would only get in my way, you know, with handcuffs and shit and not in a fun way. You know the drill, you have the right to remain silent bla bla bla…" she tilts her wrist, rolling her eyes, the gun still dangerously aimed at Amber's direction, who had her hands up, trembling. 

"Please don't hurt me, I don't...I don't want any problems. Please…" 

"Aw, blondie, calm down. We're going to have so much fun together." Salem locks the door dramatically, throwing her bag on the couch, making herself at home. "You'll see…" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooo, Salem is officially a hunted criminal now lol 
> 
> Next chapter we'll have Negan turning the city inside out after her while she tries to contact her bitch ass of a father. 
> 
> Thanks so much for reading, next chapter is already on the works. 
> 
> See ya


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter and character (not so new actually) alert!

"Any luck?" Negan asks cracking his fingers, nervous. "She can't be that far…"

"Last footage of her was, hm let's see." Simon tries to fast forward, failing to so the nurse has to take his place. "Thank you, sweetheart." 

"I thought you two needed a warrant for this." She adds while fast-forwarding. 

"And we do but right now I'm down to take the bullet, it's an emergency." Negan pressures her, waiting for a response, tilting his head, defyingly. "Go on, we don't have all night, she might be killing someone as you take your sweet ass time, sugar." 

"...okay." The nurse sighs, rubbing her eyes, fast-forwarding. "Here she is...is that a-" 

"A nurses uniform." Simon scoffs. "Fucking bitch." Salem appears carrying a bag on her shoulder, walking slowly towards the exit until a security guard stops her, they notice how she shifts the bag to her arm, as if she was ready to pick something up from it. "Who's that?" 

"That's Steve, nice guy, works here for over a month now." 

The footage continues and by his body language, he seemed to be completely relaxed talking with her, there comes to a point where he picks up his phone and she smiles, laughing touching his shoulder. 

"He asked for the phone number. You have to be fucking kidding me." Negan squints his eyes to the footage, furious. "Get his ass here, we need to know if she said anything useful." 

Steve saves her phone number and they talk for a few seconds, he appeared to get a call on his radio, so he waves and rushes to wherever the duty called. 

"By the time it was when I asked Rick to sent a patrol here." Negan checks his watch, it was over 20 minutes ago. "She can't be that far." 

"Do you really think she gave him her real phone number?" 

"She probably didn't even give us her real name so I fucking doubt it." 

Salem looks up to the ceiling, her eyebrows joining in annoyance, her hand against her stomach, the pain clearly bothering her. She puts her hair down, ruffling with her hands and walks through the front door, waving for a cab and entering, not a minute later, Negan and Simon appears on the footage. 

"Hang on...you telling me, that the cab I honk to when we were pulling over...Lucy was there and we missed her?" 

"FUCK! FUCKING BITCH!" Negan bangs his hands on the desk.  _ Slippery fucking cunt _ . "Talk with the security, I'll try to find out where she went to." 

\-----------------------

"What are you going to do?" Amber asks, sitting on the couch, watching as Salem roamed around her place, snooping. 

"I was trying to find something else to wear but fuck, you have a terrible taste in clothes." She chuckles, biting on an apple checking her closet, Amber is too scared to complain. "But you know... beggars can't be choosers right?!" 

"What happened? That's disgusting." The blonde notices the stitches on her stomach as she strips her nurse clothes to a pair of jeans, a white shirt, and a sneaker. 

"Disgusting? Disgusting is the shit you call house decoration but you don't see me talking do you?" Salem sits down on the kitchen counter, dialing a number on Amber's phone. "So, while we wait, how are you and Detective Pikachu doing?" 

"....great. Is this about him? I swear I-" 

"This isn't about him, you dumb cow. I'll die before comes the day I'll have to compete for a man...and besides, between you and me, isn't much of a competition is it?" Amber glares at her, Salem just winks, the phone against her ear. 

"This is Brutus, can you tell Caesar that I'm sorry?" She takes a deep breath, waiting for a response from the person on the other line. This was her code for whenever she had to call for help on the organization.  _ This was just a misunderstanding, I'm sure he'll explain everything. _

"I'm sorry, but there isn't anyone here that can help him. Thank you for your call." A person quickly says and hangs up. 

"WHAT???" She wants to dial again but she already took a serious risk calling from an unprotected line, and that could only mean a thing:  _ they cut me off. So it is true _ . "No, no, no...fuck!!!!!" Salem screams, furious, Amber flinches, not knowing what to do. "That's okay...that's totally fine. Calm down, Salem.-" 

"Salem?" Amber asks, confused. "Who's Salem?"  _ WAY TO GO YOUR DUMB STUPID CUNT, WHY DON'T YOU JUST TURN YOURSELF IN NOW? WHY NOT SERVE YOUR HEAD ON A SILVER PLATTER?  _ A crazy dangerous probably going to get you killed type of idea pops up as a lighting on her head. _ On a second thought… _

She never considered the idea of being arrested, or getting killed in a job, she always had a back plan for whatever was the mess she would get in to. 

_What if I called Russo?...no, he probably knew about it. I can't trust him. I can't trust no one for what it seems. Guess I'll have to stick with this plan, better than stay here and do nothing and If that doesn't work, well...at least I had fun._ _Ish_. 

"Amber, do you have any booze?" She asks jumping off the counter, opening the cabinets. 

"Hm...I have vodka but-"

"But nothing, go get it. Let's have a drink." 

Amber slowly gets up, avoiding getting any closer than necessary, she picks up the bottle and one cup. 

"You're drinking too, buttercup." Salem quickly corrects her, pouring them a shot, forcing Amber to play along. "A toast then, here’s to Hell! May our stay there be as fun as the way down was...or something like that. Cheers." She swallows the drink, grunting.  _ Cheap shit.  _ "So tell me, Amber-" a knock on the door interrupts them, Salem raises the gun. "Who's that?"  _ THAT'S WHAT YOU GET FOR LAST MINUTES PLANS _ . "Who's that, Amber?"

"I, I…" 

"Babe, it's me. Open up." 

"MARK!" Amber tries to run to the door, scream for help but Salem grabs her, covering her mouth, the gun against her temple. 

"I'm going to ask one more time before painting the wall with your tiny little whorish brain. Who's that?" 

"That's Mark. He wasn't supposed to-" 

"I'm coming in." Mark announces, unlocking the door. 

"Amber?" 

"Yeah, I'm in the bathroom." Amber mumbles, her cheek pressed on the bathroom door. "I'll be out in a minute." 

"Okay... hey I was thinking, you still in touch with that cop? Negus...Negan?" Mark asks, taking his jacket off and sitting on the couch.  _ Oh...so the boyfriend knows? Interesting.  _

"Go on, don't let me distract you." She chuckles, curious about where this was going. 

"Yeah...but we can talk about this later-" 

"Do you think you can convince him to come over today? A friend of mine, Jim, said he roughed him up the other day, I want to teach him a lesson." 

"Jim?" Salem mouthed to Amber. "Ask who's Jim." 

"Who's that?" 

"I...I told you about him before, babe. He's a bartender, barman whatever. I went to the bar, you know which one and he told me what happened." _ SO THAT'S HOW DUMB AND DUMBER FOUND ME. FUCKING SNITCH _ . "What are you taking so long in there??" 

"I'm freshening up." Amber covers her mouth, trying not to sob. "Maybe we should leave him out of this-"

"What you're talking about, you dumb bitch? This idea of getting his ass beat was yours anyway, what the fuck?" 

"Oh... you're a scammer now?" Salem giggles at Amber's blushing face. "What was the plan?" Amber presses her mouth to a thin line, not wanting to spill the petty details. She was being childish, Negan wasn't giving in as quickly she planned and expected him to, so she decided to ask Mark, her piece of shit drunk ass boyfriend for help. They were going to set him up, beat his ass then rob him. It was a stupid idea but so was Amber. 

"He's an asshole. He deserves it."  _ Two birds with one stone then.  _

"Aw...you're so full of shit." She pushes Amber out of the way, opening the door and shooting Mark on the back of his head, the bang was so loud that Amber couldn't comprehend what had just happened, when it finally hit her, she began to scream for her late boyfriend. "And to think I was this close...this close to let you go." 

"What?!" Amber sobs, her face puffy from all the crying. "What do you mean?" 

"Negan's mine to torture, can't have anyone else tormenting him right now. My bad..." Salem sighs, then shoots her without any warning, scratching her ear vigorously.  _ I swear I'm going to go deaf any time soon, fuck _ . She drags Amber's body to the couch, sitting it next to Mark's, taking a picture of the two, and sending it to Negan with a broken heart emoji.

**Sorry, baby** . 💔 

_ He should probably thank me later. _

Pouring herself three more shots, she just gives up and grabs the bottle. 

_ Let's fucking do this. Just hope he's home, otherwise it loses all the fun.  _

\--------------------

"Hi Rose, it's Jack. I'm sinking." Russo dials to the central, already aware of the shit show it was, his stuff already packed, ready to leave as soon as possible. He wasn't aware of what supposed to happen that night but his contact at the police did the favor of filling in the gaps. Salem didn't work in teams, her dad knew that, and yet he insisted on sending Nick and Tati, two of which he was familiar with its services, they were  _ cleaners _ . Billy did get suspicious at the time but he couldn't imagine that it would actually happen.  _ She's probably planning my death at this very moment.  _

"Just a second, Jack." He takes a deep relieved breath, waiting for someone else to take the call. 

"Yes?" He shivers when he recognizes the voice. It was him, Rawlings, Salem's father and the leader of the Organization, he usually never gets on the phone. Unless it's urgent. 

"I need an update." 

"...this is complicated. Come to the ship. Leave all as it is." 

"But Sa-, I mean, Brutus is still out there." 

"And he'll be dealt with it." 

"So it's true? You did try to make him unavailable?" 

"...come to the ship if you don't wish to join him. That's all." 

_ Fuck _ . 

"Thanks for the confirmation." Salem whispers, her eyes slightly red, probably from crying. 

"Salem." He turns around, the gun on her hand, aiming at his face. "Put the gun down, let's talk...I swear I didn't know." 

"You didn't know?" He waves a no with his head, licking his lips, he could tell she wasn't her sharp self, she was on the verge of drunkness, wounded and angry. Extremely dangerous combinations for someone like her. "You didn't know." 

"No, I swear." She shoots on the ceiling, as a warning. 

"Next one it's up in your ass. Do not lie to me your fucking piece of shit. Did you or did you not know?" 

"I...I suspected." He admits, with his hands up, as if he was trying to calm a dog down. 

"I know the protocol, I'm not stupid. Even if you did know, you couldn't tell me, right? Right...well, that's my fault." 

"What?" Russo takes a step closer, not planning on dying tonight. "What you're talking about?" 

"I almost saw you as a friend but you've been a foe all along." 

Police sirens can be heard, louder by the second, he looks over and she's completely indifferent about it. 

"What the hell you think you're doing? We have to go!" 

"I'm not going anywhere." She locks his door, cracking her neck. "And neither are you." Salem shoots him on the shoulder, trembling. 

"You bitch!...you shot me. You actually shot me." Russo squeezes his shoulder, blood spilling over, just in time for the sirens to be heard in their block now. 

"Shouldn't you be running by now?" She asks, sitting on the couch with the bottle in hand. Russo glares at her, but the proximity of the sound makes him ignore it.

"You're not getting away with this."  _ That's the plan, asshole. If the mountain won't come to Muhammad, then Muhammad must go to the mountain.  _ After a few minutes, steps by the stairs get her attention.  _ Finally _ ! 

"POLICE!" That loud booming voice that she would recognize anywhere growls by the door. 

"MERCENARY!" She screams back, laughing when the movements by the door immediately stops. "Oh, I'm sorry...I thought we were just saying obvious things about ourselves. Your turn." 

The door is kicked open, at least six armed police officers rush into the place, inspecting each room, Negan leading them.  _ Not in the mood for jokes I see, okay... _

"Hands where I can fucking see them." He spits, clearly in a bad mood, his jaw clenching when Salem yawns. "Amber was innocent, you sick bitch." 

Salem chuckles, getting up from the couch, both of her hands up. 

"Really? Innocent?" She takes a step closer to him, his gun still aimed at her. "God, so hot yet so fucking...dumb." He strikes her face, her lip busting with the impact. 

"You're going to rot in jail, you lunatic." Negan turns her around, cuffing her hands behind her back. "You really fucked up and then has the nerve to say I'm the dumb one?" 

"Aw, come on Negan, you're overestimating yourself. You catching me was plan A, there are still 25 letters to go." He immediately stops, his heart racing.  _ Did she planned this? Am I falling into another of her traps?  _

"Negan, step away from the girl." Rick's voice is suddenly the only sound in the room. 

"This is my case, Rick. What the fuck you're talking about?" 

"No, detective. That's actually my case." A man with dark hair and light blue eyes steps in the scene. "Step away from her." 

"Rick?!" Negan pulls her arm, bringing her closer as if he didn't want to hand her over. 

"...yeah, what now Rick?" Salem asks mocking, turning to face the man, Negan's hand squeezing her tight, keeping her in place.

"The FBI is taking over, there's nothing I can do about it. You'll have to hand over all the paperwork, pieces of evidence...you know the drill." Rick talks over her, ignoring her question. Negan's eyes were shooting daggers at his boss and to the approaching stranger. "Don't make this harder than it needs to be, Negan.

"Who the hell are you?" She questions the man, measuring him as he stood still in front of her.  _ He's actually kinda cute...God, drunk me is such _ a dumb  _ whore. Wait, FBI? _

"I'm Agent Daryl Dixon. Nice to finally meet you... Salem."  _ Oh, fuck me. Straight to plan F then, as in Fucking Failure _ . 

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lol 
> 
> Next chapter Salem will be interrogated by them, getting on everyone's nerve, as usual. (Spoiler alert: there's a time jump coming hehe) 
> 
> Thanks for reading! I'll update soon


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Helloo! This is a slightly longer chapter than the usual, it's all happening on the course of months. 
> 
> I hope it's clear as you guys read it ;)

"Where's Frank?" Negan asks while following Daryl, who was leading Salem to a black car parked outside. "Where's Frank?" 

"Who?" She turns slightly to the side, stumbling. "Oh...Ken Doll, shit, I don't know." Negan pulls her away from Daryl, banging her against the car, Daryl trying to get in his way but her cries draw their attention. "My stitches you fucking asshole, I think you popped them." 

"DETECTIVE, STAY AWAY FROM HER!" Daryl pushes Negan away, who looked dead serious, his eyes over the agent's shoulder, Salem with a dramatic pout, teasing him. "One more stunt like that and I'll have you detained. Are we clear?" Negan is about to curse him out but Rick and Simon grabs his arms, pulling him away from the scene.

"Are you insane?" Rick asks, starting the car. "You're trying to get arrested? You're trying to let her walk?" 

"What? Fuck no, I want her to rot-" 

"Then you keep your mouth shut and let them do their job. This is way above your league." 

"Rick, don't you get it? She's probably been fooling us all this long." Negan takes a deep breath, opening the text message again, his gut twisting. 

**Sorry, baby. 💔**

"She killed them over nothing, just to get to me, she is the one who made this shit personal." 

"That's enough of she said he said! You're an adult and a detective, if you're letting someone you barely know affect you this much, maybe it's time for your mental evaluation. I think you're too close, this ain't gonna work..." 

"Hang on, Rick. You're overreacting... Negan here's the one who got closer to her and knows her better. He's crucial for this case." 

"This is not up to you or him to decide." Rick parks the car, pinching his nose bridge. "Look, when they get here, they'll interrogate her, we are allowed to watch but that's it. If any of you, do, say, or even think of getting in their way, Agent Dixon is going to have you two on unpaid leave. Are we clear?" 

"Yes, Rick." 

"Negan?" 

"Just make sure she doesn't get anywhere near me." He leaves the car, drinking from a flask, a thin layer of rain wetting the ground. _Goddamn it, I failed Amber. I fucking failed, again_ . Turning his head to the side, Negan watches as the FBI cars form a perimeter around the station, at least 10 people unpacking the cars. _Who the hell are you?_

When they enter the station, there are blackboards already set up in their meeting room, a bunch of photos hanging and glued to them, wires interlinking some of them. 

"Holy shit." Simon whistles, coming closer to get a better look. "Do you think she killed all of them?" Negan crouches, squinting his eyes. 

"Ronald, his daughter Regina, Paul Allen...she's behind all of them." He is on the verge of breaking everything on the room but Daryl entered the room, a few other agents with him, Rick closes the door, glaring at the two. 

"Simon and Negan?" A guy with long hair and blue eyes reach out his hand. "Agent Paul Rovia." They shake hands as Daryl is talking on the phone. "What we are about to discuss is confidential information, if anything leaks, we'll know it was one of you, so to make everything easier for both parties, let's treat each other with dignity and respect okay?" Negan and Simon glanced at each other then nodded. "Okay." 

"How did you two meet her?" 

"At a bar...we were celebrating Negan's return to the station and-"

"Return?" Daryl scoffs. "What was the damage?" 

"I beat the living crap of the last motherfucker who tried to get all funny with me so…" Negan smiles back, defying him. "But by all means, I'm completely in control of my...urges. Agent." 

"Hm...so you two met her at a bar." Paul cleared his throat as he typed. "Then what? Was she alone?" 

"She was alone. Simon here dropped her drink leaning on a pool cue." Simon kicks Negan under the table. "And that's it." 

"...okay." Paul blinks in surprise, still typing. "Then what, where have you met her for the second time?" 

"At Regina's auctioning, she said she was waiting for someone but that she got stood up." Negan's mind goes back to that night, remembering all the details, from the clothes she was wearing, to the red lipstick on her lips. "But shouldn't you smart asses interrogate her other than asks those stupid questions?" 

"Hm." Daryl chuckles. "You clearly have no clue of who are we dealing with." 

"No, I fucking don't so it would be kind enough to drop the badass agent act and start this fucking interrogation at once." 

The room goes silent as Daryl and Negan glared at one another, both stressed and anxious with the whole situation. A knock on the door cuts the stare off for a second as Rick opens the door, exhausted. 

"Uhm, I'm sorry to interrupt but she's already been checked by the paramedics, she's on the interrogation room." 

"Thanks. I'll be there in a minute." Daryl says, taking a deep breath. "Okay, Paul here will fill you people in as I interrogate her. Paul." He leaves the room and Paul takes his place. 

"I'll try to make it quick because truth be told, I'm extremely curious to watch her interrogation so...her "real name" is Salem." He points to a photo on the board, Salem looked younger, a picture by the ocean, a man by her side, smiling. "That's what we believe one of her first kills, Luca Pagani." 

"Luca?" Negan repeats, remembering their dinner at the Italian restaurant. _She did say she dated an Italian guy named Luca. No...it can't be._

"Did she mention him?" Paul asks, interested. 

"We were having dinner at an Italian place and I asked her about her knowledge of the food and she said she dated a motherfucker named Luca." 

"Hm, I wouldn't know about that detail but what we do know, is that she was the last person who saw him alive, we only have this photo because she must've forgotten to grab the negative of the camera too that's why we believe it was one of her firsts." _Sloppy_. 

Paul proceeds to fill in the rest of the crew with the details of her following killings, methods, disguises, everything. 

"If you people had all this information and shit on her, why the hell it took this long to drag her in?" Negan is utter complete disbelief of everything he just heard. "How many people had to die for your fucking people to do something? Why the hell did you sons of a bitches took so goddamn long?"

"Because one of our...uhm, secret allies informed us that there was an order to have her killed." Simon and Negan has to hold back their smiles. _Glad someone else was after that bitch_. "We want to know who gave the order and she probably knows who did it." 

"So we are depending on her goodwill of letting us know who ordered her retirement to have the name of the leader of this...hm, organization?" Simon runs his hands on his absence of hair. "Yeah, good luck then. The girl stabbed herself to frame a "coworker", I doubt she's going to be anything but useful." 

"Let's hope for the best." Paul gets up, hopeful, leading them to the interrogation room, where Daryl was seated, files spread out over the table, a board with pictures and locations, he makes a sign with his fingers. 

"Alright, let's bring her in." Two offices open the door, leading her inside the room, pushing her in the process, annoyed with all the talking and complaining she did as she waited. 

"Nice to meet you guys! We should do this again sometime." She giggles, taking in the room. "Agent, how lovely to see you." 

"Salem." He gestures for her to sit but she ignores it. "It's been a while I've been trying to get to you." 

"Stalker much?!" Salem walks around the room, looking up to the ceiling then at the board, to which she frowns, squinting her eyes. "That one." She taps on the photo, picking up, checking the date. "That wasn't me." 

Daryl gets up to look at the photo, the date behind it. 

"It was a recent work, you don't have to lie to me." 

"I'm not, I promise. In fact, for that date, I have an unbreakable, undeniable alibi." Salem stands in front of the glass, a little smile dancing on her lips. "On that day I was having a dirty kinky sex with detective Negan on an even dirtier motel." 

The whole precinct seemed to be watching the interrogation, all eyes on Negan reddening face, his breath getting heavier, angrier. 

"Negan…" Rick sighs, not even sure how to punish him. "Tell me you didn't-" 

"Oh, and I did kill those two on the left with that hairpin. On the same night, just a few minutes before getting into his pants." She waves at the glass. "Hi if you're watching." Negan rushes like a beast to the door, Simon tries to hold him back but fails to, he's way too furious to be contained. 

"DO YOU THINK THIS IS FUNNY, YOU FUCKING BITCH?" He slams the door open, his hands around her neck, squeezing the life of her as Simon, Rick and Daryl tried to pull him back. "THIS IS NOT A FUCKING JOKE!" 

"Don't-" Her words are strained, the air escaping her lungs. "-stop...I'm almost there." Salem mumbles, gasping, Negan immediately lets her go, Simon holding him back. "I missed this, almost forgot how good you were." 

Daryl looks both at Negan and Salem, the two of them glaring at each other, the tension thick and heavy on the room.

"What?" She chuckles. "Nothing like a little strangling to get the blood flowing, am I right?!" 

"Everybody out, OUT!" Daryl pushes everyone off the room, closing the door. "Look, I don't care about the shit that happened between the two, okay?" He spits the second Negan raises his head, his nice persona crumbling. "You need to get your... feelings together." 

"I don't have any feelings-" 

"I DON'T CARE!" Daryl growls. "WE NEED TO GET HER TALKING AND SHE DOES A AWFUL LOT OF TALKING WHENEVER YOU'RE INVOLVED SO…" He lowers his tone once again. "You're gonna calm yourself, you're gonna get in with me and we are going to get the needed information out of that twisted sick head of hers, and then we'll be done with it. OKAY?" 

"...Shit...if you wanted to partner up...all you had to do was ask." Negan's shit-eating grin is back on, the idea of him putting her into jail bringing him so much joy he almost got a full hard-on. "Let's do this then." He's full of confidence and determination to get the work done, and he walks like it. 

"Sit." It's the first thing he says to her when he walks into the room but Salem ignores him. "Sit." 

"No." 

"Sit. Down." Negan orders but she doesn't comply. 

"No." Salem tilts her head to the side. "What? You're gonna beat me till I sit down, like a dog?" 

"Salem, we all have other places to be." 

"Well, not everyone. She's not going nowhere. Is she?" Negan remembers, smirking, opening the file. "So, tell me, Salem, if that's really your name-" 

"It is." She adds, proudly. _I do love that cat_.

"What a shitty name huh?" She scoffs at his comment, offended. 

"Says the guy named **Negan**. It looks like a typo, was daddy drunk when he went to register you?" Salem teases but Negan tries to not let get to him. Daryl clears his throat, avoiding the daggers being thrown out by the two. 

"So, Salem, let's just get to the point...who do you work for?" She turns her head to his side, her mouth twitching with the memories of who she worked for once. 

"No one." 

"No one?" Negan laughs. "No one my ass. You're telling me that a crazy lunatic like you, just wake up one day and says: oh dang, I'm bored as fuck. Let's kills some random people without any reason." 

"That was exactly what happened." She jokes, noticing how affected he was starting to get. "Shouldn't I...have a lawyer here or…" 

"You want one?" 

"No, not really. But it's good to know." 

"Why did you killed them?" 

"God, your eyes are so blue." Salem whispers, avoiding the subject. "I knew how good looking you were, I would've turned myself in sooner." 

"You turned yourself in?" Negan snaps his fingers, his face getting hotter suddenly. "And why the hell would you do that? That doesn't make any sense." 

"Well, it would if you were smarter." She chuckles, turning the file around. "I'm done talking, just, do what you need to do and send me to jail, prison, asylum whatever." 

Daryl is completely silent, watching her flip through the pages, a thought running over and over on his mind. 

"Let's cut this good cop bad cop crap then." His voice is no longer the low and smooth tone it was once, it was now harsh and sharp, rude even. "Who are you running from, Salem?"

"Huh?" She frowns, stopping mid-page. "What on earth are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb. You might act and look like it but we both know you're not really that dumb, are you?" 

"Hey...what is this? Shit on Salem's National Day?"

"I think you fucked up somehow, with someone. And that person probably got sick of covering and dealing with your damaged ass so they decided to put you on ice, permanently." Daryl spits, teasing her, noticing how her leg began to bounce beneath the table, Negan kept his mouth shut, taking in the scene, glad someone else saw right through her facade. "Do you know how incompetent you have to be to have your own company, your own employee to be so sick, so full of your shit, that he sets a target on your head?" 

"Shut up." Salem shivers, emotions that were bottled up, threatening to resurface. "Stop talking." 

"And I think you saw how endangered you were, how fucked up your life was about to get so you took the easiest way, you turned yourself in so you could have our protection from whoever's hates and despises you to the point of having you killed. How's that? Did I get it right?" Salem scoffs, her eyes tearing up but there's no way she's about to let it flow in front of them. "Someone please get me a box of tissue, we have a cry baby here." 

She tosses the file on the ground, hating the handcuffs on her hand, furious and sad at the same time, she tries to reach Daryl but soon Negan wraps his arms around her, keeping her hands away from the agent's neck.

"CALM THE FUCK DOWN!" He's now careful with her recently made stitches, his lips on her ear as she struggles against him, desperately trying to at least do so damage on Daryl's smug face. "You did this to yourself, doll." She suddenly begins to laugh and cry at the same time, confusing everyone. 

"What's so fucking funny?" 

"Just...I was the top pick at my old job and now I'm off the picture, they'll have to find someone else." Salem giggles then sobs, Negan's arms still around her, keeping her in place. "Tell you what, agent, I give you 6, 7 months before you come begging me for help because, now, the only link you'll ever have with said company is me." 

"We can always catch one of your business pals." 

"Yeah, I don't think so, especially not after this little stunt of mine. You're all so fucking fucked, you just don't know it yet. God, I hope my replacement does you justice, I really do, agent. You had it easy with me, I turned myself in, asshole, I'm not the one who's running." She stops fighting, tears rolling down her cheeks but her smile was big and bright as ever. "We all are in for one hell of a ride, it's going to be so much fun. Just you wait."

"You think prison life is going to be like a vacation? You think I can't make your life a living hell-"

"I'm done talking with you, with any of you actually. I'm done being your emotional punching bag for whatever shit you have buried deep in there, I'm finally, completely done." Salem pulls Negan's arm away from her and sits on the chair, crossing her legs. _Can't wait for the fun to begin, let's see who daddy's dearest sends to get me first._ "I want a lawyer. Now." 

"What now?" Rick asks when they enter the meeting room. 

"Nice work in there." Paul shakes Daryl's hand. "You really got into her." 

"Well... not as much Negan apparently did." Simon laughs, receiving a hard slap on his back. "Come on, it was a joke, relax." 

"No, we'll actually talk about this later, detective." Rick rubs his eyes, his phone ringing, Lori again, probably complaining about Carl's behavior. "I gotta take this." 

"How did you know she was going to react the way she did by bringing up the hit order on her head?" 

"Well, from what I've learned about her over the years, she's not actually a psychopath...just really mentally fucked. And I believe it's true what she says." Daryl types on his phone, getting her a public defender. 

"About what?" Negan asks, her look of anger mixed with sadness still on his mind, but soon the picture of Amber dead on the couch took over and he hated her once more. _She's a psychopath, I don't care what this fucker says. I know her better than he does._ "They probably already replaced her with some bum ass orphan drunk mother kid, she thinks too highly of herself." _Yet you didn't catch her, she turned herself in huh?_

"She knows for sure who ordered her death, she's not running from them. She's waiting, for once in her life." Daryl sighs. "They will try to kill her again, desperately this time, because they know she knows too much. It's just a matter of time." 

"Time?" 

"Yeah, they know it is just a matter of time before she decides to fuck them up, before she gets bored. Let's just hope we get a chance to gather this information before they slit her throat open." 

"For some reason, I don't think this will an issue." Paul chuckles, pointing to the interrogation room, where the two officers that brought her in were dragging her out of the room by her arms, she kicked and cursed, throwing a complete childish tantrum. "I think she'll do just fine."

"Wanna bet?" Negan laughs, his eyes on her form at all times. "I give one month before she rats them out, no way in hell she's going to make it without all the expensive things she loves so much." 

"I give her three months." Simon writes down on the board as she watched, they were collecting her fingerprints, Salem eyes were fixed on the talking men, anxious to get her revenge. 

"Hey, assholes." She calls them out, they turned around, the smirks still on her lips. "Make it five, that's how long they'll need before my replacement gives you people a blinding headache." 

"What makes you think they didn't replace your sorry ass already, doll?" 

"I'm kinda a big deal in this industry... besides, replacing people is hard. You of all people should know." 

"Huh?" 

"Yeah, how is the replacing of Lucille going?" She asks, giggling, knowing exactly how much that still affected him, his smile immediately dropping, Rick's head-turning in surprise. "You remember her, don't you? Your dead wife." 

"Negan...it's not worth it...she's just messing with you, don't let it get to you." Simon gets on his face, holding him back. "Let it go, she'll get what's coming." 

"Aw, still tender I see? Face it Negan, there are some people that are simply irreplaceable and I just happen to be one of them." Salem takes a deep breath, the scowl on his face was like her rewarding prize. "This was fun, maybe we should do that again sometime, I promise not to kill anyone under your nose several times...again." Negan lunges screaming at her direction, it took Simon, Paul, Daryl, and even Rick to keep him from beating the living shit out of her as the officers put her on the police car. "Toodles, see you soon, boys."

A month later after Salem's arrest, Daryl went to visit her, hoping she would've changed her mind by now. He sat there, waiting for the prison guards to bring her to the room. The second the doors open, she takes in the room, finding him sitting down, her expression immediately changes, she groans, rolling her eyes. 

"Ugh, why there's no glass? I always wanted to use one of those phones, you know?" She raises her hands, the guard removes her handcuffs. "And then put my hand upon the window and let it slide down, like we were in a Lifetime movie. Thanks for ruining it for me." 

"I see you... haven't changed." Daryl takes in her appearance, she had lost weight, her hair was shorter and there were a few bruises on her knuckles and face. "How you're holding up?" 

"I made friends." She gives him a toothless smile. "What do you want?" 

"I could ask you the same thing." He slides her a few photos of a bunch of dead people. "We have reasons to believe that this was done by your replacement." 

"...so? What about it?" She shrugs, still looking at the pictures. _After all that long studying and living with those people, you grow go recognize certain patterns, like a footprint, this was clearly Russo's doing_. "Besides, this shit right here..." She taps on the picture. "This is just a copycat being his usual asshole self." 

"Why can't you just cooperate?" Daryl bangs his hand on the table. "Cut the crap, we both know you didn't make any friends, in fact, just last night, I heard one of your "friends" tried to shiv you on the shower." 

"Are you spying on me?" Salem giggles, the cut she got from her cellmate stinging. "Well, if you know so much shit about everything." She stands up, handing her wrists, the guard handcuffing her again. "Figure out this yourself, I think I can handle myself here, thank you very much." 

Two months had passed, Daryl tried again, now that an agent was infiltrated, she was going to keep an eye out for anything useful Salem could possibly say or do, Angela was her new cellmate, considering that whoever stood on her cell, either would end up spanked or dead. It's not like Salem was stupid enough to walk around picking fights left and right, she was just her asshole obnoxious self and that usually didn't sit right with her colleagues. While locked up, Salem in fact, would avoid starting fights, but she was always, always would finish them. 

And everything seemed to be going well until one of her old colleagues came to finish the job, she immediately recognized the face when she walked through the door, Olga, she was taller and stronger, Salem remembered how highly her father used to talk about her, about her ruthless and abilities. 

"Hey, Salem, I'm going to soak in the sun, wanna come?" Angela would try to get intimate at any cost, at lot was in the stakes. She was pretending to be in there for selling drugs to a cop, Salem even laughed, mocking her "dumbness" when they talked about their crimes.

"You go first, I'll catch up with you later." She says, brushing her hair, looking herself in the mirror. _I'm starting to regret this, three months in this shit hole, and all I got till now was one. Olga, fucking bitch. I wonder how's detective Pikachu doing_ ...a warm familiar sensation sent shivers down her core and she struggled to wave it off. _That's what you get for not thinking things through, or worse, that's who...uh, what you_ **_doesn't_ ** _get being out there._

As she was immersed deeply in thoughts, she failed to notice the bathroom getting emptier, by the time she did, it was too late. 

"Salem." _Holy fucking shit, now what?_ Salem turns around, already guessing the visitor, the thick Russian accent not leaving much doubt on the room. "It's been a while." 

"Olga." She looks up and down to the tall woman, responding to her in Russian. "You got fat." That's was all it took for her to lunge at Salem, throwing her against the wall like a rag doll, kicking her while she was still down. 

"He told me to give you a quick painless death." Olga pulls her hair, yanking her head back. "Guess he still cares after all." 

"Wow, lucky me." Salem elbows her stomach, trying to get herself free from the huge woman, receiving a hard punch in return, something wrapped around her neck and suddenly she couldn't breathe. 

"But we all have our own ideas of what painless means right?" Olga climbs on top of her and pulls the string, Salem gasps desperately for air, slapping and kicking the harder she could but the weight difference between the two making everything harder. _So this is how I'm gonna go, strangled by a Russian cow on a filthy bathroom floor? How pathetic._ "Any last words for daddy dearest?" 

"Fuck you." Salem struggles, headbutting her attacker, Olga groans and bounces her head on the floor, blood spilling from her nose. The sound of something getting sliced and the feeling of hot liquid covering her hair catches her by surprise, the air finally coming back to her lungs, her chest hurting with the effort. 

"Holy shit, Angie." Angela stood there, an improvised knife on her hand, Olga choking on her own blood on the floor. "Holy fucking shit." 

"What the hell happened?" Angela asks, inspecting Salem's nose, it wasn't broken, fortunately. "Are you okay?" 

"Yeah, I'm great." Salem leans against the sink, rinsing her mouth with water, a tooth feeling like was about to give in and fall. _Great, fucking great._

"What the hell happened? I came back because I desperately felt like using the bathroom, next thing I know that Russian bitch is on top of you." 

"... thanks for the help." Salem nods, immediately getting suspicious of her. _How the hell does she knows Olga was Russian? Whatever, she saved my ass, I gotta give her that._ "Go on, use the bathroom, I'll wait for you." 

"What about Olga?" _Bingo_ . _I never told her the dead bitch's name._ That's okay, that's okay. _They want information? Let's give them information_. 

So for the following months, Salem talked about her past, her plans, always masking the story, lying some details, names, dates, and places. It was just a matter of time to Daryl visited her, probably to gloat about the information given. _Maybe I can put this rat to use, cut myself a deal._

In the meantime, Negan still did what he used to do before meeting her, he drank, he had nightmares, he worked and he had his one night stands, and that was pretty much it. 

"Wanna hear something nice?" Simon asks, pouring them some coffee to help with the hangover, courtesy of the night before. 

"As long you keep your voice down, sure." He sips on his coffee, his eyes on the news on the TV. A painting had just been stolen from a Russian politician, he was found hanged on his chandelier, simulating the painting itself. _How flamboyant, reminds me of-_

"Are you even listening to me?" Simon snaps his fingers close to his friends face, Negan just nodded, faking it. "And you, from all people, has no comment about what I just told you?" 

"I think...it's indeed, hm, unfortunate...shit I'm sorry, my head's killing me, I didn't catch any of what you just said." 

"I said that Tommy, my friend that works on the jail your ex is in-"

"She's not my fucking ex." Negan speaks between gritted teeth. "We fucked, that's all." But he did think about her, from time to time. He wasn't in love or anything, but anytime he ate lasagna, he would be suddenly reminded of her. Anytime a certain song would come on the radio, he reminded of her. Even once, when out and about, drunk beyond his mind, he called his one night stand, a brunette with light green eyes Lucy, then immediately apologized, only to call her Salem a minute later. He just excused himself and blamed on the booze, coming back to his home, trying to get some sleep. Unfortunately, on that same night, he dreamt of her, which only made it worse. He would avoid any woman with dark hair, sticking to blondes, redheads, and anything in between. 

"Anyways...I don't think our agent friend is getting anywhere with her. Apparently, he's been visiting her every month." 

"Is that so?" Negan tried to play off, uninterested. "Good for him." 

"Yeah...last month she couldn't make it, an incident on the stairs made her bed-bound." 

"Wait, you're serious?" He puts his mug down. "Is she okay?" 

"And then you have the nerve to tell me she's not your fucking ex…" 

"Shut up. I'm just curious." Negan went out, with the excuse of a visit to a pharmacist when in fact, he caught himself setting up his GPS to the prison Salem was in, he drove without thinking for twenty minutes before hitting the breaks, so suddenly he got cursed and shouted at, people rushed past honking at him. "What the hell am I'm doing?" He turned his car around, coming back to the precinct. "Wake the fuck up, I'm not getting involved in her mess again. Forget about it."

But on that same day, he not only drank over the recommended limit again, he went after a brunette, bringing her home and spending the night with the dark-haired girl, he did not mistake the names times though...he didn't have to, coincidentally, the brunette's name was Lucy. 

Yet, his mind still kept swaying, his vision was blurry, he even thought he saw someone else on his bed, but also, once again, he proceeded to blame on the booze. _This has absolutely nothing to do with her._

Fake it till you make it, right? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two hard headed assholes 🙄 lol 
> 
> Next chapter there's a time jump, they'll have no choice but to consult Salem this time. Oh well. 
> 
> Hehe next chapter is already on the writing, don't forget to leave a comment. 
> 
> See you guys soon


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So they meet again lol
> 
> FYI, tomorrow I'll be back at work, back to the 9 to 5 life, but I'll try to update in the usual time but no promises 
> 
> Thanks for reading! 💖💖💖💖

\------------ **SIX MONTHS LATER** \-----------

"Rise and shine, sleeping beauty." He hears a faint laugh in the back, followed by the sound of something crashing, jerking awake he reaches for the gun under his pillow, quickly aiming at its direction. "You know, you were dreaming about me..." His heart sinks when he recognizes the intruder. "... explains the drool." 

"Salem." She stood there by the end of his bed, smiling at him, looking as creepy as ever. 

"The one and only." Salem crawls on the bed, Negan's gun still aimed at her but she didn't seem to care, laying down on his side, her eyes fixed on his. "You should know better, baby, I already unload it." She tosses a bullet on his face, giggling. "Miss me?" 

"What do you want?" He tries to roll to the side but he can't move, it's like he's glued to the bed. _Did this bitch drugged me?_

"Would you believe it if I said I missed you?" She lays her head on his chest, closing her eyes, cuddling his frame. 

"Fuck no." He looks down, her long hair tickling his arms. "Get the fuck off me." Negan grunts, trying to move, to push her away, her face against his chest, stroking his skin like a cat.

"How?" Salem chuckles, still laying on his chest, her nails scratching his skin, sending shivers down his spine. "This is your dream, baby." She sits down, leaning towards his lips, almost kissing him. "You're the one who can't seem to get it off...not me."

"What the hell... " Negan groans, flinching with the buzzing and vibrating phone on his nightstand, when he reaches his arm, he drops his lamp, remembering his dream _. I got to stop reading old cases before bed...well, that one case at least_. He checks to see who's calling, dropping his phone on his face, just waking up from another night of drinking and staying up late. "Simon, what?"

"What do you mean what?" Simon's voice is lower than usual. "Where the hell are you? The meeting is about to start." 

"Meeting?" Negan sits on his bed, his room suddenly spinning _. I really need to slow the fuck down._ "What meeting?" 

"What meeting? Holy shit you need to wake the fuck up, that friend of yours, Agent Dixon is coming today, Rick's been talking about it for weeks." 

"Shit…" Negan jumps from his bed, quickly getting dressed. It's been six months since they had any clues about Salem's former organization, various killings happened in that meantime, however, they were far from catching the killer, they only knew it was her old organization doing because the killings were pretty much re-created, Salem was right, this was a copy cat and she refused to cooperate directly. With her cellmate, Angela, that was a different story.

"Can you cover for me?"He drops his phone on the sink, brushing his teeth, splashing some water on his face, trying to wake up. "I'm on my way."

"Okay, I'll do my best. Can you bring us decent coffee while out?" 

"...sure." Negan hangs up, staring himself in the mirror. _That goddamn bitch can't even let me sleep in peace._ "I do not miss her, I do not miss her." 

He keeps chanting this phrase on his head the whole way to the precinct, stopping on a coffee shop on the way. When he finally gets there, the parking lot is already crowded, black government like cars filling the place. _Great, fucking great._

"Negan... always on time." Rick doesn't let it slide when Negan entered the meeting room by the back door, sitting by Simon's side. "Care to explain why you're this late...again?" 

"That's okay, we were hm, a little behind on the schedule too." Paul checks his phone, taking a deep breath. "I'll just, walk you guys through it." He turns on the computer, passing through some pictures they all have seen before. "Not long after Salem's arrest, people started to die, all around the globe." 

"People die all the time, why the hell that witch has to do with this?" Simon is the first to raise his hand. 

"Daryl used to think the exact same thing but we have reasons to believe that this is the work of her replacement...we don't know if it's a man or woman, how old he is but what we know it's that someone took her place, and the people they're killing, they all don't seem to have something in common." 

"Okay...but how can you be sure is her replacement and not from...some other creepy organization?" 

"We have our sources. And it's extremely reliable, and that same source expressed its concern, they said the management haven't been the same since she left." 

"And what the hell Smart Ass agent expects us to do?" Negan scoffs, sipping his coffee. "Even better, why don't you nag his ass about his lateness too, Rick?" 

The sound of rushed steps and a slight knock on the door stops Negan mid complain. 

"Good morning." Agent Dixon entered the room, a fresh scratch on his face, his finger catching a drop of blood on his lips, his tie slightly disheveled. "I apologize for my lateness. We had some, hm, urgent problems on the way here." Negan rolls his eyes, standing up to face the window. _Why the hell there's a prison van here?_

"Well, to be fair...I am the prettiest urgent problem you all have ever seen." A way too familiar voice chuckles behind Daryl, who takes a deep breath, like if he was trying to remain calm. _No, no, no, it can't be it…I'm awake. This can't be happening_. "Hi boys, miss me?"

"What the fuck-" Simon stands from his seat, not believing his eyes. 

"WHAT THE HELL IS SHE DOING HERE?" Negan is the first to object her presence, Salem turns her head to the side, a playful expression on her face. "IS THIS SOME KIND OF SICK JOKE?" 

"Agent Dixon, what the-"

"Everybody calm down, okay?" Daryl orders, grabbing Salem's arm, pulling her into the room. She was still handcuffed but she wasn't even in a prison uniform, she was wearing boots, blue jeans, white shirt, black leather jacket, that sight alone made Negan's blood boil. "Paul, close the goddamn door, let's get to work." 

"Jesus, would you be a lamb and bring me some coffee?" Salem purrs when Paul tries to close the door, she had nicknamed him in one of their visits, he hated at first but soon grew used to it. "I had a rough night."

"It's everything ok?" Jesus asks Daryl, pointing at his face, Daryl just sighs, his head pointing to Salem, who stared at the board, yawning.

"Yeah... I'll explain it later. Just get her the goddamn coffee." Jesus holds back his laugh, leaving the room. 

"Well, I understand this might seem as a shock to some of you, but Salem's been helping us over a month now." 

"Helping with what exactly? Poisoning old people? Kidnapping little kids?" Simon interrupts him, Negan and Salem were glaring at each other like there wasn't anyone else in the room, ignoring the whole explanation being given by Daryl. 

"I'm gonna kill you." Negan mouthed, his eyes roaming around her body, checking out her figure, even after six months locked up, she didn't seem to have changed that much, she did seem to have lost some weight, Negan smirked picturing her refusing to eat the garbage they served in prison. Her eyes were still sharp, cat-like, measuring Negan from top to bottom, but other than that, she was still the same. 

"I missed you." Salem mouthed back, biting her lips, Negan stops smirking, taken aback by her statement, visibly swallowing a lump down his throat, she snorts at the sight, flipping him off, before he can say anything else, he hears Rick calling his name. 

"Are you okay with that Negan?" 

"With what now?" He clearly wasn't paying attention, Daryl waves his head, impatient. 

"Maybe we should find a better, sharper detective for the job. We can't have no mistakes this time." 

"Don't be mean, Daryl, he's doing the best he can." Salem jokes, teasing him. "I for once believe I can do the job all by myself, as I always have." 

"You can't possibly believe she's going to to work with us...just like that." Simon scoffs, getting up from his seat to face her. "That bitch is going to screw us over the first chance she gets." 

"That anger over there, that you're feeling, Simon, that's all yours... I know I may have been a rock in your shoe in the past...but I'm not the same I was back then." 

"You're telling me...that six months, changed you completely, just like that?" He laughs in her face. "I call it bullshit." 

"Six months, a few weeks in solitary confinement too, they gave me a new perspective in life. I mean, yeah, most of my life that's all I ever did. Jumping from a place to another, receiving the files, and getting the job done. That's it. I never once had the time to wonder what I wanted, I don't want to hurt anybody. I don't enjoy hurting anybody." Simon squints his eyes and she shrugs. "Not anymore at least." Negan scoffs, his eyes on her knuckles, all bruised and red. _I know her better than anyone here, she doesn't fool me._ "So I killed. So I maimed. So I destroyed one life after another. I know that and that's not me, but still, aren't I a human being?" 

"Salem…" Daryl calls her out, pinching his nose bridge. 

"When they hurt me, I bleed. That’s human, right? When I'm horny, I fuck. When I'm hungry, I eat. When I’m happy, I laugh. When I’m upset, I swear and might break some things." She licks her lips, her eyes watery. _And when I hate someone for stealing my whole life from me, I kill him. And that's what I'm gonna do_.

"Wait what?" Negan asks. "What is she talking about?" 

"I'm sure you already knew that but Salem was adopted." 

"Shocker." Simon rolls his eyes, turning to the side, sniffing. _That was Oscar-like._

"Yes, so?" 

"I want to know who my real family was. Even if they're dead. I want to know." She sits down, Paul finally back with her coffee, Negan still played her words on his head, trying to see if they were true or not. "That's the deal, I give them the management and they move their strings to found out about my real family." 

"When you say real family, it implies that you did have a family before…" Rick says after being quiet all that time, his own personal problems affecting his mind. "What happened to them?" 

Salem blinks, looking at Daryl, he stares her as if asking permission and she doesn't bulge. 

"That's classified." He simply says, changing the subject. "Our inside source gave us a heads up on to the next target." Salem shifts in her seat, anxious. _I need to find out who's that source too._ "Damiano Zurzolo, exotic and rare jewels collecter, over the years he has traded, bought, sold and stole over than 3 billion dollars on the black market." 

Jesus plays some slides, pictures, and maps. 

"Her replacement should act on the following days, Salem's role is still to be determined…" Jesus glances at her, she rolls her eyes, annoyed with their procedures. _If we were to do on my way, things would be so much easier…_ "So far he's proven to be quite, precise-" 

"It's easy to be precise when he's just copying my work, get yourself your own print, asshole." Salem groans and Negan gets the needed confirmation, that whole talk about not liking hurting people, that this wasn't who she was, that was pure bullshit, he could even picture her rehearsing on her cell, faking the tears. "So, when it's my flight?" 

"Hold on, why she's the one that has to go? You can't tell me that's there's absolutely no one left in the whole place who can't do this instead?" 

"Because we already sent our people before and it didn't work." 

"Yeah, they all got, like." Salem pretends to cut her throat with her thumb. "So who better to get the job done than the original master itself?" 

"How can we be sure you're not just using us for some hidden agenda of yours?" 

"As long as our goals are aligned, none of you has to worry about me. Beyond that, I can't make you any promises." She shrugs and Daryl rolls his eyes. "What? I'm not gonna ask them to trust me...I mean, it's not like the feeling would be mutual." 

"You do remember our rules, don't you?" 

"Yes. No plotting, no blackmailing, no killing...unless it's absolutely necessary." 

"Dad, are you going to take much longer?" A teenager looking boy entered the room without any warning, interrupting the meeting. 

"Carl, wait outside!" Rick quickly takes control of the situation, Negan notices how Salem shifted in her seat, scratching her head, checking the clock on the wall as if she was planning something. 

"So who's in charge of making sure she doesn't go rogue?" Rick asks leaning against the door, to prevent Carl from barging in again. "You?" Salem chuckles, Daryl made a mistake of lowering his guard on the way and she took advantage of that. 

"No, I have to deal with our inside source, I was wondering if Simon or Negan could take over." 

"Wait what?" Salem turns her head, clearly displeased and surprised. It wasn't enough that every day she faced new a threat, she had to worry about Angela gathering information on her and with the other inmates, especially the ones who got themselves incarcerated just to get to her, those were the worst. She had a bunch of new scars, pains, and bruises but she was still standing, she just didn't know how long. _Even I can get tired at some point, I'm only human after all_. So one night while sleeping, she just woke up and had the best idea she ever did. On her terms at least. "This wasn't part of the deal, Tweedledick and Tweedledumb over there are going to ruin everything!" 

Negan laughs, he wasn't going to volunteer but knowing that it was something she absolutely hated, it was more than a reason to do it. _This has nothing to do with us._

"I'll do it." He leans in, pulling her cuffs. "I'll be the babysitter." 

"Are you sure?" Jesus asks, surprised. "I mean, it's a good initiative but she's not exactly the easiest to handle-" She tries to reach Jesus but Negan pulls the cuffs again, roughly.

"Hey!" 

"Rest assured, agent. I know exactly how to handle a stray cat like this one." He winks and Salem fakes a smile, standing from her seat. 

"Not ideal, but, beggars can't be choosers, right? So, are we gonna stay here and hear them bitching about working with me all day, like a bunch of whiney little kids, or are we getting shit done, like adults usually do?" She asks, glancing at the clock. _The longer I stay in this place, the bigger are the chances of getting traced._

"She's right." Daryl stands from his seat, snapping his fingers, Jesus starts to organize his things to leave. "We should get going, there are still some things we need to arrange for the trip." 

"Shopping spree!" Salem claps her hands, jumping in place, Negan with the biggest scowl, already regretting his idea of accepting the job only to make things harder for her. "We are going to have so much fun together in this, Negan." She bumps her shoulder on his, fixing his hair, he shivers slightly when he feels her nails on his scalp, the memories of that night at the motel resurfacing like a lighting bolt. "Just like old times." 

"Oh, sweetheart, you and I have very different ideas of fun." He growls dryly, slapping her hand away from his hair, Rick sighs, the rest of the crew clearing out the room, leaving the two alone, but the door still remained open. "Don't you dare to assume this is going to one of your fucking acting gigs, you're under my command, got that?" She raises her brows, surprised with his behavior. 

"I don't get it why you're so bothered about this. I thought you became a cop to catch the bad guys." She sits on the desk, her feet dangling, kicking him softly. "Here's your chance, Detective Pikachu." Negan pulls her hair by the nape, bringing her face closer, his lips were trembling of anger. "There's that Negan I needed as my partner." She giggles, pulling him closer, he was now standing between her legs, Negan's expression changes from fury to confusion, to fury again. "You can say whatever you want, but I know you, Negan." 

"No, no you fucking don't." He tightens his grip on her hair, shaking her head, trying to prove a point, it was for Salem or for himself, he wasn't sure. Not yet. "You never did, you crazy bitch." 

"Oh, are you really sure about that? Huh?" She licks her lips, glancing at his. _God, he's still hot as ever._ "Please, Negan, have you learned nothing new on the course of these months? I knew it the second I complained about having you leading the team, you would jump right in... just to get me all worked up, I knew that because if I were in your position, I would do the same thing." Salem chuckles at his expression, the back of her hand stroking his face, he catches her hand, squeezing painfully but she doesn't try to get away, just grunts, the pain on her knuckles bothering but not enough for her to give in. "Thank you, for playing your part perfectly, baby. I knew I could count on you." She quickly lands a peck on his lips, pushing him away, walking out the door without looking back. "See you later, **partner**." 

He stands in the middle of the room, his fists clenching, desperately in need of punching something or someone, his tongue sliding on his lips, running the back of his hand against them. _I cannot fucking believe this._ __She played me, again_ , after all this fucking time. And I fall for it, again. After all this fucking time! I'm not doing this, I'm out. _ Negan walks out of the room, ready to tell Rick to get someone else for the job but the sight of Salem laughing while reading a missing person poster, makes his blood boil, for different reasons. _She's probably counting on it...or maybe she's counting that I'm just going to take it as a pussy and not say anything…_

"Hey man, I'm really glad you took the bullet this time." Simon interrupts his thoughts, slapping his chest. "Can't tell you how relieved I am." 

"Relieved? Why the hell are you relieved?" 

"I mean... isn't obvious? There's no way I'm hell she's helping just to get to her family, she's probably been planning this for six months and the feds are way too short-minded to see right through her, but not you." 

"Yeah?" 

"Yeah, who's better than you to keep her in tracks? To make her plan crumble piece by piece? Come on, you can't say you're not pumped by this?! This is your chance to get back at that smug piece of hot ass. The bitch won't stand a chance of getting away with whatever she's planning." 

"Yeah...yeah you're absolutely right, Si. Fuck whatever she's expecting me to do, I'm going to make sure she doesn't get her fucking way. Not this time. This time I'm the one who's dealing the cards." Negan seems to be talking with himself instead of Simon, who laughs awkwardly at his friend while Negan was filled with self-confidence. 

"That's great man... just, be careful not to think with your dick okay? We all know what went down between the two of you and even I have to, even though I hate to admit, for as good it is, that pussy over there, is not worth it." Negan turns his head, frowning. _Easy to say when you're the one who went balls deep in there- what the hell am I thinking?! Simon's right, I can't screw this up. Not this time._

"Ready?" Rick asks, signing the release form and NDA form Daryl had to hand him over. "There's still time to let someone else do the job...I know you two have, hm, history." 

"Never been more ready than I am now, Rick." Negan fixes his posture, his eyes catching a glance of Salem sitting by Daryl's side while he made the finals touches for their trip, waiting, checking the ends of her hair, clueless to his glare. "Just with one condition." 

"What?" 

"If that crazy bitch over there screws us over, I get to be the one to put her down." 

"You mean arrest her?" Rick signs the budget form, not paying attention to Negan's mischievous expression. 

"Of course, boss." Negan cracks one of his signature smiles, perfect and bright. "What else could it be?" _I'm not getting played by her again, one way or another, I'm getting her out of my life...and mind._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hahaha I missed having these two together in a room lol 
> 
> Next chapter they travel together and each one of them has issues dealing with each other and feelings who might occur :3 
> 
> Please let me know what you guys think so far, I would love to know what you want to or don't want to see in this story 😬
> 
> See you guys soon 👀✌🏼💖


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, double chapter day
> 
> Hope you guys like this
> 
> See ya

"This is it?" Salem groans, checking the rack of clothes that Jesus had brought her. "Where's my old stuff? I'm not wearing any of these." 

"What the hell are you already complaining about already?" Negan is sitting eating his lunch, watching as the crew tried to put together Salem's cover, she was going as a potential buyer, representing a businessman, who wished to buy one of the illegal pieces to his wife. "It's not that difficult, why don't you do us all a favor and just put on the goddamn clothes already?" 

"Wow, you didn't used to complain when my clothes were off before…" she teases, the room goes silent, all eyes on Negan, waiting for his response. "Matter of fact, if I do recall precisely, you even tore them apart that one time." He sits up straight, swallowing the food, his eyes burning through her back. "You remember, don't you? That time when I killed two people under your nose?" 

"GET OUT, EVERYBODY GET THE FUCK OUT!" Negan gets up, rushing the crew out of the room, Salem doesn't even flinch, just continues to twist her nose at the available outfits. "Look at me." His hands are tightly closed into fists, his jaw clenching. "Look. At. Me." He turns her around, pushing the rack away. "I'm the one in charge here, okay? Let's not forget that my word here will determine if this shit show goes on or not." 

"I was just messing with you." Salem whispers, her hand on his chest. "Come on, I thought you liked having your buttons pushed, or so you did last time I checked." 

"Don't you act like you know me, don't you fucking dare to do that. You made my life a goddamn living hell ever since I met you and you know that." Salem's face goes from smugness to an amused expression, a small wrinkle of concentration on her forehead.

"That's not true...we had fun like what, a few weeks ago." 

"It's been over six months since last time I saw you, you crazy bitch. Six fucking months since we fucked and-" Salem chuckles, catching him by surprise, her hand going down from his chest to his stomach, making him shiver for a second. 

"Look who has it on the calendar." She pretends to write on the air. "Exactly six months ago, Salem and I had sex." Negan grabs her neck, squeezing harder than he probably should, she tries to gasp for air but his hands are too tight. _Okay, maybe I'm pressing him too far. Noted._

"Negan, let her go, NOW!" Daryl walks in the room, Jesus heard the rack being pushed and feared for the worst. "Step away from the girl." 

"I'm shutting this shit down, right the fuck now!" Negan steps away from her, pointing at Daryl's face. "This will never work, she's impossible to work with! A goddamn burden if you ask me." 

"Calm down, both of you!" Daryl raises his hands, trying to ease the mood. "Negan, nobody's forcing you to do this, you can walk out at any given time." 

"Yeah, why you don't do us all a favor and grow a goddamn pair." Salem coughs, raising her hand to stop Jesus assistance. "This is work, complicated work, and if you can't control those maniac impulses of yours just because a convicted prisoner is having fun after months trying to make it to the next day alive." She gulps down, remembering why she was there in the first place. _Eyes on the prize, Salem._ "I suggest you leave this burden to someone else, someone who's more fitted for this job." 

Another agent walks into the room, pushing a big heavy chest and Salem stops talking, her eyes on the object. 

"Will you be...easier to work with if you have your own stuff?" Daryl asks, noticing her eyes glued to the chest, Negan rolling his eyes with his reaction. _I swear it's like working with a goddamn child_. 

Not a second later, Salem's kneeling on the floor, opening the chest with bright eyes, completely happy inside. It's silly but material goods wore a big deal to her, she was literally emotionally attached to them, she didn't put much thought into why it mattered so much but it was actually because whenever she purchased something like that, she would get happy literal dopamine, but you know what they say, material things can only make us happy for a short period of time. And when you can't get that feeling somewhere else, like with friends, a significant other or even worse, your family, owning things were the next closest thing to Salem. 

She probably would never admit it but she was actually a very lonely person, most of the time and for as long she could remember, she always felt that way, utterly and completely lonely, **alone**. 

From time to time, she would try to get them attention in any given way, she craved for it, needed it but it was useless, it doesn't matter what she succeed or failed on it, they simply didn't care, all she would get was a pat on the back and a new file. Which eventually made her developed a coping mechanism. 

If people wouldn't meet her needs, her coping mechanism was simply stopping needing them. Whatever she couldn't fill with meaningful healthy relationships, with her "co-workers" or with her father himself, she proceeded to fill with material objects, because she knew they would never fail to give her attention, care or love, mainly by the fact that she owned them, plain and simple, they didn't complain, they did not ignored her most importantly, they would never leave or abandon her. And that meant a lot to Salem, it meant so much she was on the verge of territorial aggression with them. 

But of course, if anyone would ever come up to her and asked her about it, she would quickly change the subject, laugh and play it off, state that liked stuff that made her look good, because she knew that the better she looked, the more attention she would get... unfortunately most of the time it wasn't the kind she really needed, and deep down she knew that. Yet most of the time, everything is all about the looks on the surface, to momentarily get that thrill, of owning something, or someone, so why bother? 

"How did you find the exact pieces?" She asks, feeling the green silk of one the expensive coats. 

"Our inside source proved to be quite, observant of you. And your tastes." Daryl clears his throat when she turns around to test a mid thigh ruby red dress on top of her body, matching it with the long silk coat. _Probably one of the Intel guys, creepy little fuckers_. "You have one hour until Zurzolo arrives-" 

Salem nods, humming, stripping off her shirt, grabbing a towel as the present crew on room stared at her in an uncomfortable surprise. Well, some of them at least. 

"What?" She asks, looking around the room. "Are you all gonna stay here and watch or are you going to stop staring and do your goddamn jobs?" 

Daryl clears his throat, diverting his eyes from her lacy bra and clearing the room, Negan stands there, dumbfounded by the brand new scars and bruises she had on her torso. Simon said prison was rough on her but I didn't think he was being that serious. 

"Can I help you with something, Negan?" Salem turns around after noticing what he was looking at, putting up a strong facade. 

"You know, Simon mentioned you were being roughed up in prison…" he leans back, squinting his eyes when she twitches her mouth, uncomfortable with the way he was talking to her, as if he was mocking her. "...he just failed to mention how much. Shit, you look like Chucky, doll." Salem scoffs, offended. 

"You know what I just realized, Negan, baby." She tosses the towel on her shoulder, licking her lips. "I never got a thank you for putting down that cow you liked to fuck, what was her name again?" Negan stiffened at her comment, that anger building up again. "Andy? No, it was dumber than that... Amber? Yeah, right, it was, Amber, sweet delicate bimbo Amber." 

"You shut the fuck up, shut the fuck up Salem I swear to God, agent can't save your ass every time-"

"I don't need him to but I did save yours and this is what I get?" 

"What the hell are you talking about?" He spits at her, confused, she raises a brow in defiance and he brings his hand to her hair, pulling her head back but Salem slaps his face, hard, making him stumble a little, giving her enough time to push him down, wrapping the towel on his neck. 

"You're right, they did rough me up in prison but eventually you learn how USEFUL a goddamn towel can be." She struggles to keep him under her grasp. "But let me help you, again, Negan, baby." Salem tightens her grip on the towel, enough to make him gasp for air, trying to break free from her. "Amber had a boyfriend, his name was...uh, fuck I can't remember but anyway, what it matters is that they had plans for you, you dumb fuck." She gets up, pulling the towel away from his neck, putting it back on her shoulder. 

Negan gets up, coughing, his face red with the lack of air and excess of fury, his stance indicating he was ready to fight back but Salem waves the white towel, asking for a parley. 

"You have one minute to explain what the hell do you mean about them having plans for me or else-" 

"Jim, bartender, makes terribly weak drinks, big-mouthed. Rings a bell, detective?" Negan frowns, trying to remember, the memory of him roughing a bartender for information with Simon popping in his head. "Great, so what happened was that big mouth Jim, was friends with Amber's drunk excuse of a lover boy. He wasn't happy with how you treated him, you know?" 

"Why are you telling me this?" He says between gritted teeth, Salem looks over at the clock on the wall, sighing. "Tell me!" 

"She called you that night, didn't she? Of course she did...Negan, Amber was setting you up for the beating of your life." She giggles, pulling down her pants, getting ready to shower, he gulps, trying his best not to look at her only in underwear figure. "And you were too busy thinking about me to notice."

"I caught you, let's not forget that." 

"I turned myself in, let's not forget **that**." Salem corrects him, walking towards the bathroom, turning around, measuring him. "Come on Negan...I've killed for **you**." She states, admitting to him as if it was a romantic declaration, Negan can't believe his ears, it was worse than he thought. "Who else can say that?" 

"You're out of your goddamn mind." He runs his hand on his face, rubbing his eyes in distress. "If that's your idea of caring or helping someone, you're crazier than I thought you were. Fuck, who raised you?" 

"Just as a flower does not choose its color, we are not responsible for what we have come to be…" she quotes something she heard it in a movie once, shrugging. "You should get going, detective. I need to wash off the cheapness of the flight who brought us here. You can either join me or get the fuck out, I'm fine either way." Salem turns her back at him, walking into the shower, secretly hoping he would choose the first option, because unfortunately, to Negan, he was something she could never tame, both of them had strong tempers and personalities, which instantly drawn her to him, as time went on, she eventually would catch herself thinking about him while locked, she would picture herself stroking his skin, feeling him under her hand, she would even sometimes just picture him standing there, she liked looking at him, being around him, it comes to the point where she imagined herself owning him as if he was something to collect. 

Salem was already overly clingy, proprietorial, literally attached to her inanimate objects, can you imagine how possessive she could get to something living and breathing? She didn't, not yet at least, and neither did Negan. But both of them would eventually found out... together. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second chapter of day is coming tonight, thanks for reading! 
> 
> Next chapter Salem makes contact with the target in a way that rubs Negan in the wrong way
> 
> Don't forget to leave a comment :3


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second chapter of the day!

**TW - DRUG USE**

"Are you calmer now?" Daryl asks when Negan entered the surveillance room they had set up on the building they were using as a safe house. 

"Yeah yeah, how calm one can be around someone like her?" He sits on the chair, taking a deep breath, already regretting agreeing with this job. "That inside source you talk so much, is it reliable?" 

"What do you mean?" The agent checks his watch. "Paul, ring her room, she's going to be late." 

"Who's going to be late?" Salem walks in the room putting on her earrings, Negan looks her from head to toe, taking in the sight of the ruby red dress clutching to her body on all the right places and he had to remind himself who she was and why they were there. _Keep it down, keep it in your fucking pants._

"You, if you don't rush." Daryl sighs, grabbing her tiny earpiece and a necklace from the counter. "Here, put this on." 

"It doesn't match." She frows putting the tiny device on her ear, covering it with her old Hollywood wavy like hair, Daryl remains his stance, not backing down.

"Salem." 

"Fine...a little hand here?" She pulls her hair up, turning around, waiting till she sees a familiar pair of hands around her, carefully placing the necklace and closing it shut, his fingers grasping on her neck, taking in the perfume he clearly remembered breaking on her bathroom once. "So, how do I look now?" Negan takes a deep breath, smirking. 

"Killer." He teases, winking at her eye roll. 

"This necklace has a hidden camera and microphone so we will have eyes and ears at all times, Salem." 

"And I suppose it also has a tracker inside?" She asks, putting on the green silk coat and purse. Daryl ignores her question, shrugging. "Yeah, I figured. Let's go, I don't wanna be late." 

"Remember, you're just evaluating the possible sell, you have to keep him entertained for as long it takes till our guy shows up to try to finish him." 

"Yeah yeah, I got it." She smooths the fabric on her body, making the final adjustments. "...am I expected to get there walking or?" 

"Negan will drive you." Jesus holds back his laugh, completely aware of how smoothly their dynamic usually ran. "Here are the keys, you need to wait outside on the car in case of-" 

"In case of that guy fucking kills me right?" 

"In case you try to get away." Daryl adds, checking his phone. "You two should get going. Now." 

Salem mockingly salutes them, walking towards the exit, Negan behind her, unusually quiet. 

"What are you doing?" He asks when she sits on the backseat instead of the passenger seat. 

"Right...you're new to this so I'll walk you through it." Salem grabs the mirror from her bag, putting on her lipstick. "Think of this as acting in a movie, okay? We're playing a part here and must act like it. In my case, I'm Ludovica Fontana, I go by as Lu or Ludo, I was born in Naples but thanks to my parent's jobs, I grew up in the US, which I secretly despise." Salem finishes applying the red lipstick, closing the tube and putting it back inside her purse. "Oh, and my favorite color is blue, as in the Tyrrhenian sea, which I missed dearly." 

"I swear to God that every time you open your goddamn mouth is like a fucking box of twisted surprises. One worse than the last one." 

"You're just jealous you didn't think of it first. That's why you're the chauffeur." 

"Excuse me?" 

"How unprofessional of you, Jackson, you were so occupied worrying about my role that you didn't even bother to check yours." Salem laughs, clearing her throat, reciting the report back at him. "Jackson Powell, personal driver and security to Miss Fontana, hired exclusively by her employer to make sure both of her and the jewel safety." 

"Who the hell is writing this garbage?" He asks under his breath, slightly offended with his given role. _I could be something else, something with a more meaningful role, for fucks sake._

"Hey, don't shit on my writing if you can't play the part." Jesus comments on the radio, echoing on Salem's earpiece at the same time. "Salem, if at any given time you feel like you're in danger, your safe word is nefarious." 

"Nefarious? How the hell I'm supposed to use that in a sentence?" She mumbles under her breath, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms, her cleavage getting more prominent with the movement, Negan's eyes go from the rearview mirror to the road until she shifts uncomfortably on her seat. 

"What?" He asks looking over the rearview mirror. 

"Huh?" 

"What's wrong? Are there ants back there or some shit like that?" 

"No, I'm just...sore." She admits, staring back at him, the moment they shared where he saw all the scars and bruises on her torso coming back to haunt the two. Negan immediately gets quiet after that, not saying anything else from the rest of the ride. "You can stop around here, it's too crowded." Salem leans in, giving herself one last glance at the mirror. 

"Don't fuck this up." He says, turning his face away from her, trying to avoid her perfume, it brought him old memories and he didn't need that right now. _Or ever_. "And don't forget this invite, you'll need it apparently." 

"I won't." She chuckles and plants a kiss on his cheek, catching him by surprise, ignoring the invite on his hand. "There, the perfect way to blot heavy lipstick. Wish me luck." 

"Fuck no." Negan runs his hand on his cheek, trying to remove the red stain on his face. _This is going to be a goddamn long night._

"Invitation." The security guard asks Salem when she finally reached the door, skipping the line at the club where the meeting was meant to happen, he looks her up and down and signaling with his hand, the security next to him pulling up the velvet ropes. 

"Thanks doll, you're a peach." She pats his shoulder, walking in the club. "Told you I wouldn't need, Jack." Salem chuckles, smoothing the necklace, teasing Negan.

"Why don't you shut your goddamn mouth and-"

"Quiet, both of you," Daryl speaks over them, raising his voice. "Walk around Salem, Damiano should be there somewhere." 

"But I love this song." She complains, the camera on her necklace pointed at the dance floor. The deafening sound of static indicating Daryl's response. "Fine! Killjoy." 

Salem begins to round her way around the club, bumping into random people, the place was packed at this hour which complicated things. 

"Are you sure that soon to be dead fucker is even here?" She asks, taking a break by the bar. "My feet are killing me." 

"Maybe you should've worn something else then." The bartender jokes, fixing up a drink to the people around her. Jesus buzzes on the radio, his eyes sharp on the available image, seeking out for any possible danger. "Comfort never hurt anyone you know?"

"Thanks, but these are Ferragamo's, I'll choose that over comfort any given day." Salem leans over the counter, stealing a cherry. He turns around, smiling, fixing her a bowl of cherries, and placing a drink at her side. "I didn't order this." 

"It's from the gentleman over there, at the VIP lounge." He points over, the glass wall separating the room from the rest of the people on the first floor. 

Salem turns around to follow the direction he's pointing, squinting her eyes. 

"THAT'S HIM, SALEM, THAT'S DAMIANO!" Jesus shrieks on the radio, making her jump slightly. "CAN YOU HEAR ME? SALEM?" 

"A-OK mister J." She sips on it and raises the glass to the man standing by the glass, he does the same, inviting her over with his head. "I'm going there." 

"Be careful." Daryl warns her, sitting by the screen, watching as she walks passed by the crowd until she froze in place of a sudden, rushing in another direction. "Salem?" 

"...is that…" 

"Salem? Can you hear me?" He asks getting worried by the second. "Salem, can you hear me? What's happening?" 

"I'm coming in." Negan's voice can be heard louder than the rest. "Stay where you are." 

"No, no, false alarm." Salem coughs, walking towards the steps. "My bad guys, thought I saw someone I knew." 

"It's everything ok? Should Negan-" 

"No, I'm fine. Stop talking. All of you." They see the security opening the big door to the VIP lounge, the loud music instantly getting muffed by the thick walls. _Wow, paranoid much?_

"I need to search you, ma'am." Another security steps in front of her, bulky and over six feet tall, a threatening vision no doubt. 

"Let him." Daryl orders on her earpiece, noticing how she seemed to hesitate. "Do not make a scene." 

"...sure." She hands over her purse, the big guard inspecting object by object while she waited impatiently. "Satisfied?" 

"Not yet, excuse me." He tries to feel her up in an unauthorized bodily search and she gives him a high knee on his crotch instead. 

"Excuse you." She walks past him, ignoring Daryl's complaints on her head. 

"You bitch!" The security regains his posture, grabbing her arm but a loud clap interrupts him. 

"Max, leave her be. She's my guest." Damiano appears between the gathered people around the scene, clearing the way instantly. He was better looking in person than on the pictures, he was tall, around 6ft tall, fit, covered in curious-looking tattoos, his eyes and hair were in a perfect shade of brown, his skin tan, as if he lived by the ocean. _Goddamn it, why the good ones are always the worst at the same time?_ "I do love a woman with a temper. Here, my apologies for the inconvenience." 

"Mister Zurzolo." Salem picks up the glass he was offering, toasting and introducing herself officially. "So nice to finally meet you, forgive me for the lateness, I just... couldn't spot you." She reaches out her hand, Damiano leans in, kissing the skin seductively, Negan couldn't help but groan at the exchange, he could hear everything but he couldn't see what was happening and that made him strangely curious. "Ludovica Fontana. I believe we have business to discuss." 

"Ludovica...my pleasure. Can I offer you anything else?" He points at the waitresses walking around the room with golden trays of lined coke and pills while others lit up different kinds of cigarettes. 

"Maybe another time." Salem turns her body so they could get a good look at the scene as she sipped on the champagne. "Nice location by the way." 

"You liked it? I just recently purchased the club. It's nice to wander around our investments, don't you think, Ludovica?" 

"Please, call me Lu, all my friends do." She sits on a couch, crossing her legs when he joins her, getting comfortable with his arm around her shoulders. 

"You know, when my... _manager_ said I was meeting a gem specialist, I wasn't expecting someone like you." Damiano was clearly taken by surprise, his interest shifting from selling to owning. 

"I swear to God this is the dumbest…" Negan mumbles, but she hears his voice clear as day. 

"And what were you expecting?" 

"Not sure, just, something else." Damiano runs his hands on his hair, cleaning his nose with the back of his hand. _Great, a coke head, what a shocker._ "Look, to be quite honest, I don't feel like discussing business tonight, not anymore at least." 

"What?" Daryl blurts out, startling her. "Salem, you need to keep him close!" 

"Do you mind telling me why?" Salem asks, her eyes roaming around the room. 

"Let's just say something changed my mind." He gulps down his drink, snapping his fingers, asking for another one. "Tonight I feel like, enjoying, that's it." 

"Oh..." She holds back the urge to roll her eyes. "I see." 

"You seem disappointed, baby." Damiano strokes her face with his fingers, lifting her chin. "What's the matter?" 

"Nothing really, it's just that...my employer won't be happy to extend my stay here. He was hoping for a quick exchange." 

"Well, with all due respect but fuck him. If he wanted it so bad, he should've come himself to fight for it." He twirls a curl on his finger, Salem genuinely smiles imagining Daryl's and Negan's face at Damiano's statement. _He's absolutely right tho._ "Tell you what, you're staying on my hotel Artemisia, my treat, of course. So that cheap fucker can't complain about it anymore, how that sounds to you?" 

"Salem, no, this safe house was carefully thought and-"

"Five stars?" She quickly speaks over the voice on her ear, saving his business card on her purse with his personal phone number. "Room service included?" 

"Anything you want." Damiano pats her thigh, the drinks finally arriving. 

"It's like talking to a goddamn door I swear to God!" Negan groans on the radio. "I told you this wasn't going to work, genius." 

"To future business partners then." He hands her another glass, making a toast. "And to cheap coward fuckers that made this meeting possible." 

"To cheap coward fuckers." Salem swallows the drink, purposely spilling some on her dress. "Shit!" 

"Someone bring us a towel, now!" 

"No no no that's okay, I'll be right back." She rushes off the room, straight to the bathroom, the talking on her ear so loud she couldn't focus on anything else. 

"Salem what the hell you think you're doing? You were supposed to stay in the safe house." 

  
  


"Look!" She stops in front of the mirror, giving them the whole picture. "I had a really, **really** shitty couple of months, matter of fact, scratch that, my whole fucking life actually…and I really need to get back looking like I'm having the fun of the century to that room but what **I don't** need is a goddamn voice on my head sounding like the generic dollar store version of Batman giving me a lesson every ten seconds on HOW TO DO FUCKING MY JOB!" 

"Shit…" Negan chuckles at her rant, the rest of the listeners quiet as a grave. 

"Interrupt me again and I'm flushing this shit down the toilet, and you all can go around your catalog of incompetent half-asses of agents all you want, good luck finding someone else to be your goddamn scapegoat." Salem dries her dress the best she can, feeling dizzy. _I haven't eaten yet, fuck._ "Are we clear? Can I go back to whore myself for your guys or it's there something else it needs to be said?" 

"No." Daryl simply says it, getting silent after that, turning off his mic. "You can handle the rest of the night right? I got a text from my source, I need to meet him." 

"Sure, go ahead boss. I'll call you if something comes up." Jesus continues to watch as Salem walks back, stumbling a little, to the VIP room but a pair of hands around her waist stops her in place. 

"There you are." Damiano looks down her dress. "Thought I missed you for a second. Everything okay?" He asks noticing how she was blinking slowly. "You're tired." 

"It's been a long day." 

"Here…" he snaps his fingers, a waitress carrying one of those golden trays walks by, standing still in front of the. "You'll feel better after Molly's help." 

"Uh...Salem? I don't think it's a good idea to-" Jesus watches by the camera, almost calling Daryl but her warning of giving up the job sparks back in his head.

"To what?" Negan asks, twitching in the car, tired of waiting. "To what goddamn it?" 

"Screw it." Salem shrugs, leaning towards the tray, snorting a line, ignoring both of Negan's and Jesus's callings. _I could use the thrill, just once._

"Better?" Damiano chuckles, spinning her around the floor. 

"I wanna dance!" She states after the mixture of both ecstasy and cocaine, feeling better than ever, invincible and unstoppable. 

"What's happening?" Negan asks hearing Jesus cursing on the radio. 

"Everything's fine, so far...shit. Well, it's just that, hm, Negan maybe you should get there and pull her out before she does something she might regret it later." 

"I can't fucking see, Jesus! What's happening?" 

"Salem's going at it." 

"Huh?" 

"She's drugged okay! Fuck, just get her out of there before he eats her alive!" 

Negan rushes out of the car, his gun safely hidden on his jacket. 

_Fuckity fucking fuck, this is what you get for offering yourself as the goddamn babysitter_. 

When he reaches the door, the security immediately denies his entrance, trying to send him to the back of the line. _I guess it only works if you have a pair of perfect tits huh?_ He pats his jacket over and over until he remembers the invite, pushing against the security chest, rushing inside. 

"Where is she?" He asks, lost amongst the crowd. 

"On the dance floor!" Jesus tries to be more precise but it's impossible at the moment, the music so loud it hurts their ears, the place so packed he couldn't even see a feet away from her necklace. 

"For fucks sake, Salem. Where are you?" He bumps amidst the people, trying to desperately find her. "Where the hell are you?" 

After what it seemed like an eternity, he finally spots her on the middle of the crowd, dancing and laughing on Damiano's arms, they danced and grinded following the music, a bunch of security guards standing close by. _JUST GREAT, FUCKING PEACHY._

"Found her." He begins to push his way in, determined to pull her away but before he can reach them, Salem catches his face on the crowd, her smile growing bigger, she turns around and kisses Damiano's lips, meaning it. 

Negan's stomach drops at the sight, catching himself by surprise with his own reaction, he was green as Salem emerald coat. His face was getting flushed, his lips pressed on a tight line and his teeth clenched shut as he watched for longer than he wished for it, Salem kissing him, his hands roaming freely all over her body.

"Salem if you can hear me." He begins to say between gritted teeth, Salem stops kissing Damiano, who is now occupied devouring her neck, biting and kissing at the same time. "I recommend you to step the fuck away from him or else." 

"Or else?" She mouths defying him, her eyes glued to his, throwing her head back, giving free access to Damiano's teeth, lips, and tongue. 

"Or else it is then, doll." Negan pulls his gun from his pocket, but before he can do anything, gunshots erupted at the club, at least three times, catching both of them by surprise. It was more than enough to chaos to be immediately settled, people rushing through the place, glasses breaking, the lights getting lit as some of the running people fell on the ground, it was pure havoc. 

Damiano's security is rushing him off the place, covering his head and body, literally human shielding him, he even tries to pull a confused and lost Salem with him but Negan is faster, pushing through the chaos of people, he laces an arm tightly around her waist, holding her close to him, making sure she would come with him while they run with the crowd, pretending to be mere bystanders like the rest. 

"What the hell was that?" She asks incredulously. "What the hell were you thinking?" 

"I could ask you the same fucking thing!" He pushes her inside the car, her necklace lost in the middle of all the running and dragging. _Great, can this night get any worse?_ "What the hell were you thinking going at it with that scumbag?"

"What's the big deal here? It's not like you even care!" Salem pushes him and tries to get away but it's not like she can get very far on that state.

"Stop acting like a goddamn kid!" Negan grabs her again, pushing her inside the car and closing the door with a loud thud, taking over the driver's seat, running off, Salem tries to open the door several times, whining. "See? That's why nobody likes having you around. You only care about yourself, you're impossible to work with. No wonder they were so desperate to finish you off." She immediately stops fighting with the door, her face falling into a melancholic expression. 

"Is that what people really think of me?" Salem asks, her voice merely a whisper. "Am I really that unbearable?" 

"Yes!" Negan shouts, half laughing. He stops when he notices how quiet she got. _Shit…_ "Come on, don't act like this is a surprise to you. You can't treat people like disposable garbage and expect them to love your ass. That's not how it works." 

"It's not that easy for me…" 

"Bullshit!" He scoffs, looking over the rearview mirror, she seemed to be on the verge of tears. _That's what you get for doing drugs with strangers, a filthy bad trip._ "That's bullshit and you know it. You will never understand how harder it is to be a normal decent human being than it is to like you." 

"A normal decent human being?" She scoffs, jumping to the front seat, making him almost losing control of the car when she jumped past him. "Like you?" 

"This isn't about me." 

"Yes it is, you made it about you the second you chose to drag me out of there." Salem turns her body to face him, not bothering with a seat belt. "Were you jealous? Why did you do that?" 

"What are you talking about?" 

"You know what... were you really about to shoot the ceiling like a lunatic to get me away from him?" Negan gulps down, secretly acknowledging it wasn't a good idea, he could be in deep serious trouble if he did that. "I'll take this uncomfortable silence as a yes." 

"You're unbelievable, you know that?! You just don't see other people." He hits the breaks of the car, making her almost fall from her seat. "You're so full of shit-"

"I need help, Negan…please, I can't, I can't do this anymore, I don't understand." She breaks on full-on tears, catching him by surprise. "I don't get it, why would he do that to me." 

"Do what? Who did what to you? What are you talking about?" He's tempted to console her but he can't let his guard down around Salem, not anymore, it never brought any good to anyone whenever he did. "Salem, what are you talking about?" 

The radio buzzes, Jesus desperately trying to get any contact with any of them since their last interaction was just a few seconds before gunshots erupted on the club. 

"Negan? Negan? Are you there?" _Talk about bad timing._

"Yeah. I found her, everything's ok, we're coming back to the safe house." 

"Holy shit you scare me for a second, I thought you-" 

"Meet you there okay?" Negan turns off the radio, planning to come back to their previous conversation. "What were you saying?" Salem is looking over the window, deep in thought. "Salem?"

"Just...let's go. Tonight was a disaster." She mumbles under her breath back, rolling down the window to let the cold night wind come in. 

"You know what, you're right. This was a fucking disaster, I don't know why the hell I agreed to do this." He starts the car again, not a second later he hears giggles coming out of her. "What's so goddamn funny?" 

"You needed the invite didn't you?" She laughs, picturing him getting bounced at the door. 

"You're such an asshole." Negan growls, not daring to look at his side. 

"True, but the messed up thing is you like me anyway." Salem leans in, supporting herself on his thigh. "Don't bother denying it. You think you could settle with a nice decent normalgirl next door after **this**? Please. You're only lying to yourself, let me help you." 

She strokes his face with the back of her hand, he's tempted to see what she was planning but he had to remind himself she was still high as a kite, he couldn't take anything she said serious in such a state, so Negan pushes her back on her seat, remaining silent on the rest of the way, both deeply immersed in thoughts. Salem wondering why did he react like that when he clearly showed no sign of caring about her as in her mind she did, while Negan knew exactly why he reacted the way he did. 

He was jealous, plain and simple. 

Jealous of someone who, in a twisted attempt to protect him, killed two people in cold blood and didn't bat an eyelid. 

_She's going to be the death of me. One way or another, I'm doomed._

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who doesn't love a little angst right? lol I know I do. 
> 
> Thanks for reading! This week I'm staying at home, so more time to write yay
> 
> Don't forget to leave a comment please 
> 
> See you guys soon 💖


	19. Chapter 19

"Last night…" Daryl tosses the security tapes on top of the table, startling the seated crew around it. "...was a complete disaster." 

"Not to be a jerk or anything…" Negan chuckles, reading the newspaper with a wide grin. "...but I told you so. I mean, what did you expect letting out a crazy lunatic like psycho over there?!" 

"Buongiorno!" Salem walks in the room dressed in a bright pink satin robe, as if they were all just a normal family having breakfast together on a Sunday morning. "What's up with the long faces?" 

"I'm gonna give you one minute to explain why Negan had to leave his post to get you out of there." Daryl orders and Negan leans back on his chair for a possible explanation, Salem looks over at the both men staring her and awkwardly smiles. "So?" 

"Well... truth be told, I don't remember." 

"You what?" 

"Yeah, everything, after I left the bathroom, is just a blur...did somebody died or something like that?" 

"No! But-" 

"But what? If I remember your orders correctly, I was supposed to keep him entertained for as long as possible. No killing, no plotting, and no blackmailing. I got his personal number, here." She shrugs, walking towards the window, looking at the view. "He even invited me to stay at his hotel." 

"You're not going." Negan smiles when Daryl denies immediately that idea, Salem turns around clearly displeased with his response. 

"Why not?" She puts her hands around her waist. "Come on, I got closer to the guy in a night than you people ever did in like what...months? You gotta give me credit." 

Daryl seems to ponder the idea, having her closer to Damiano could mean that not only they could catch both him and the killer after him. Two birds, one stone. 

"Wait, you're not seriously considering the idea are you?" Negan scoffs noticing Daryl's thoughtful expression. "Last night I had to drag her off his arms before they fucked in plain sight." Salem bites her lips holding back her smile, she actually did remember everything that happened, but it was much more fun to pretend she didn't and watch Negan twist his way around it. "What makes you think she's not going to run off with the guy to some fucking island in the middle of nowhere?" 

"Hello? I'm still didn't get what I want out of this agreement, I'm not going anywhere. I promise." 

"I'm sorry, does your promise supposed to mean anything to me?" 

"He's right, what guarantee do we have? You're very much capable of-" 

"You want me to swallow a fucking tracker or something like that?" 

"Actually, since you lost your necklace last night, Jesus arranged something else." Jesus hands Daryl a golden Cartier bracelet, the kind you need a specific tool to open. "Give me your wrist." Salem takes a step back instinctively and Negan gets up from his seat, grabbing her arm by force. 

"So you're just going to tag me, like a dog?" She whimpers annoyed but not fighting against Negan's grip around her while they screwed the bracelet shut around her wrist, they had made minors modifications, setting both a camera, microphone, and tracking device, an alarm on the agency would go off if she even tried to force it open. After discussing every little detail about her staying at the hotel, Daryl finally agreed completely on letting her stay there, with one condition. 

"That's not fair, I wanted a room all to myself!" Salem groans on the way to the hotel, Jesus was driving and Negan was on the passenger seat, not happy either with Daryl's condition. They would have to be paired up 24/7, she had to be under constant surveillance, and considering Negan was the one to offer himself for the job, it's not like he could complain now. He made his bed, now he literally had to lie in it. "How the hell am I supposed to explain the 6ft tick glued to me 24/7?" 

"Jackson is your private security guard remember? Yours and the jewel, so wherever you go, he has to go too." Negan chuckles, Daryl had given him free passage to control her in whatever means necessary. "Besides, it's not like you're here for vacation, doll." 

A few minutes later, when they reached the front desk and booked a room, the receptionist asked for a name and Salem gave her fake one, the receptionist smiled and stopped typing. 

"Miss Fontana, there's no need for registration, please follow me." She gets up from her seat, walking towards the elevator, the concierge already carrying their suitcases, dropping them on a two-bedroom suite, presidential style. "Feel free to call us any time." 

"Thank you!" She snaps her fingers, getting Negan's attention. "Jack, be a good boy give it a nice trip to the nice concierge, will you?" 

Negan's about to argue but then he remembered that everything she usually did was only to get a reaction and he usually complies, so he took a deep breath, smiled, and tipped the confused concierge. 

"Don't start." He sighs when she gives him a funny look while eating grapes from the fruit tray. "Don't you fucking dare to start, I swear to God." 

"I didn't say anything." Salem chuckles chewing, being her usual cocky self. "So what now?" 

"They gave me this." Negan raises something looking like a radio, to check for any possible bugs. "Just seat over there and be quiet." 

"Fun, you do that." She rolls her eyes while he does his search all over the place, her eyes studying the decoration of the place, it was way too over the top, too much of everything, probably reflecting Damiano's personality. _Still hot as fuck, oh well._ After a few minutes, Negan was pretty much done, with no bugs or hidden cameras anywhere. "Holy shit." 

"What is it?" He asks when Salem gasps dramatically in the other room. 

"Check out this view." She's standing on the balcony, looking over the city with glistening full of wonder eyes. "Here, take a picture of me." 

"I'm not doing that!" He immediately crosses his arms, ignoring her request and she blinks in surprise. "Why the hell would you want your picture taken when you're literally wanted all over the world?"

"So you can remember me when I'm gone." She's still posing at the balcony but Negan doesn't move to grab his phone, considering she wasn't given one. "Please? It's not like I'm asking you a kidney or something." 

Negan groans annoyed, grabbing his phone from his jacket, rolling his eyes, opening his camera, and taking literally ONE picture. 

"There." He says putting his phone back on his jacket. 

"Let me see." Salem tries to grab his phone. 

"No." He grabs her wrists, stopping her in place, way to close to one another. It was impossible to deny their sexual tension, he knew it, Salem knew it, and worse, she knew he knew it. "Salem…"

"How it was for you, when I was away?" She pulls his jacket, bringing him closer, feeling the fabric on her hands. "Did you missed me?" 

The memories of all the times he caught himself thinking about her on the course of six months flushed all at once but he did his best to not let it show. He would die before admitting that certain foods, smells and even songs remind him of her. And God forbid Salem if Salem found out about the time he mixed up the names of his one night stands, calling them her name instead. 

"You think too fucking highly of yourself, doll." He leans back, smiling, trying to step back but she pulls him closer. "What are you doing?" 

"You wanna know what I think?" Salem licks her lips, taking in his cologne, Negan raises his brows, waiting for whatever shit she was about to say. "I think you're just scared." 

"Me?" Negan laughs throwing his head back. "Scared? Of what?" 

"I think you're scared of admitting the truth to yourself." 

"And what truth is that?" He gulps down as she got closer to him, her eyes on his lips. 

"That not only you thought about me, you did missed me, just like I missed you." She leans in, their lips inches apart. "Tell me I'm wrong." Negan didn't move, he just looked down on her, breathing heavily, not sure what to say or do as he was getting used to her unpredictable behavior so Salem glued her chest to his, her hand on his neck, bringing his face down. "Tell me I'm wrong and I'll stop." She then kisses his cheek, slowly getting closer to his lips, when she reaches them, Negan grabs her wrists, glaring at her and his look of hatred seems only to encourage her even more, scoffing at his lack of movement, she releases herself from his grip and next thing he knows, they're full-on kissing, Salem's hands are under his shirt, exploring his back, he pushes her on the table direction, dropping a few things, deepening the kiss, the taste of grapes on her lips mixed with her own taste and scent he refused, to this very moment, admitting he did miss it.

Salem pushes his jacket off his body, going for his belt too but before he can say or do anything, a knock on the door stops them mid interaction, startling him but she didn't move, just smiled at him, her hands still on the hem of his waistband, a second knock makes her sigh annoyed. _Worst. Timing. EVER._

"I...I'll get the door." Negan speaks in a heavy voice, a mixture of feelings rushing through his body. 

"I'll get it." She suddenly kisses his lips one last time, her chuckle slowly turning to a discreet laugh, looking down at him, raising a brow. Negan clears his throat, running a hand through his disheveled hair, his head still not wrapping around on what just happened and what was about to happen. Salem picks up a grape from the tray, biting on it before rushing to get the door, still laughing. "See? You missed me too." Negan follows her line of sight, the growing bulge in the crotch area in his pants leaving literally no room to deny it anymore. 

Salem opens the door before he can at least do anything about it and it was the concierge, handing her a card on an envelope, they exchange some words in Italian and he blinks in surprise, making her laugh and say something else, he laughs awkwardly with her, quickly excusing himself, closing the door behind him. 

"What did he say?" 

"What do you mean?" She asks opening the envelope, dodging the question. 

"Don't play with me." 

"Why? You seemed to be totally into it just a few seconds ago... actually…" She brings her eyes up from the envelope, smirking, Negan rushes to the bathroom, banging the door shut, knowing she wouldn't go anywhere far with the tracker attached to her wrist. 

"Get it together, you horny sad fucker." He splashes cold water on his face, drinking some of it. _I can't do this, not again. Let her get inside my head...or pants again, she's not to be played with. Or fucked with_. Negan looks up in the mirror, staring back at his reflection, his lips were slightly red and his hair messy, anyone who took a glance at his direction would immediately know what had just happened. _Shit, that's it, I'm calling this shit off, let them find someone else to handle her._ He tried his best to wave it off the feeling he got when they kissed, it was like he has been thirsty for ages and he had finally reached a glass of water _. I can't let this shit get in the middle of the operation._

Opening the bathroom door, he reaches down to get his phone on his jacket that was still laying on the floor but it was nowhere to be found. 

"I can't believe your password is still the same after all this time." He hears her chuckle behind him, laying on the couch, his phone on her hands as if was hers, to begin with. "6969? Classic." 

Negan lunges in, grabbing the phone from her hands, furious. _Did she planned all of this? Getting my jacket off just to get to the phone?_ He immediately checks the phone calls, text messages, and search history, nothing out of ordinary. _Fuck, if Daryl knew about this, he would've cut my head off, leave an internet access phone to someone like her? Sloppy move._

"What did you do?" He asks her, pulling her from the couch by her arm, dragging her. 

"Nothing, I just wanted to see my picture." She answers him, laughing at his fury state, Negan growls when he sees that the only open tab, was the gallery photos, her photo still open. "Why are you so upset? It's not like I downloaded a Nickelback album on your phone or something, relax." 

"And to think I was-" he stops himself mid-sentence, remembering how he was about to quit literally seconds ago, which made him even furious. _It all just a game to her, she played me again_. "This is nothing but a game to you isn't it, you crazy bitch?" 

"Of course not...I mean, I do love to mess around with you but I meant what I said earlier, I'm not going anywhere and I did missed you. And I know you meant it too." 

"I didn't say anything!" 

"You didn't have to, baby. We both know the truth." _Well, the three of us do, me, him, and his dick._ She shrugs, handing him the envelope. "Here." 

"I don't speak Italian." He says a few seconds after reading the thick paper on his hands, texting it to Jesus that they got a mail. "Who's from?" 

"Damiano." She's opening her suitcase already, picking an outfit. "We'll meet him in an hour." 

"What?" He can't help his eye roll at the memory of that guy having his hands all over her body. _What the hell am I doing? Focus, Negan, FOCUS_. "Where?" 

"At the mall." Salem claps excitedly, pulling a scarf from her case. "We're going shopping!" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just admit it already Negan, we all know the truth lol 
> 
> Next chapter we'll have a jealousy fit, still to be determined by who hehhehe
> 
> Thanks for reading, see you guys soon!


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyy, back in quarantine. Sorry for taking longer than usual, feeling kinda blocked these past few days. 
> 
> Anyways, here's the new chapter.

"That one." Salem says leaning in and pointing to the poor lobster at the aquarium. "That's the one." 

"You heard the lady." Damiano nods to the man, leading them to his booth at the overly priced restaurant, the car already packed and full of presents he had bought her on their shopping spree, Salem couldn't remember the last time she had that much fun, while Negan, on the other hand, couldn't remember the last time he got so annoyed and angry to the point he almost dragged her by the hair multiple times, but he knew the job was too much of a deal to mess it up...but that doesn't mean he had to pretend to like the guy, especially when he led her to an Agent Provocateur store and had her pick a bunch of lingerie, even daring to lean in and whisper on her ear it was for later, to which Salem had laughed, making him even more frustrated than he figured to be possible, yet he refused to believe that what was he feeling was pure jealousy. "Jack?" 

"Huh?" Negan dozed off, missing Damiano's invite to seat on the booth with them. _Who the hell is Jack?_

"Jack, sit down, you deserve a treat after getting Lu out of that place in one piece." He laughed slapping his back playfully, sitting by Salem's right side, his security at the other end, making the only available seat by Salem's left side, at the other end of the booth. "I tried to bring her with me but-" 

"I was faster." Negan gives him a fake smile, fixing his uniform, to which Salem had complimented him on it earlier, saying that he had to keep it on later. "So...Mister Zurzolo, I'm not sure if Miss Fontana informed you but I'm not employed by her, I'm employed by her client." 

"Meaning that he doesn't answer to me. My client insists, especially after yesterday, that Jack here, follows me and the package when I get it, at all times. He's like my shadow." Salem taps his shoulder, interrupting whatever he was about to say. "I'm sure you understand." 

"Of course. I wouldn't do any different if you were under my contract." Damiano agrees, his huge security still by his side, the only downside to that was that he was the same guard Salem had given a hard knee to the crotch the other day, so from time to time, Negan would catch him glaring furiously at the raven-haired woman. "I'm glad you came, Lu, it's not often I get the chance to meet someone like you." 

"Someone like me?" She chuckles, opening the menu on the drinks section. "What do you mean by someone like me?" 

"A connoisseur." Earlier when he helped her zip a bunch of dresses, he had pulled his sleeves up, checking the time constantly, annoyed with this repetition, she noticed he was trying to draw attention to his watch, the second her eyes landed on the piece, she smiled finally understanding what he was trying to do. It was a replica, he was testing her all that time, she never felt more thankful for paying attention to the details on it, Billy had one which he constantly wore and made sure she paid attention to the time, so she wasted no time joking about it when the chance arrived, clearly pleasing him, after all, she had passed his test. _Thank. Fuck!_ "How long are you staying here?"

"We're leaving as soon we get what we came here for." Negan doesn't let her speak, taking the menu off her hands. _She's not drinking today. Too much of a trouble._ "So I'm sure our employer would appreciate it if you could stop stalling, that would be just great." He suddenly feels a hand squeezing his thigh, **hard**. Looking down, he immediately recognizes the manicured nails digging his skin, silent warning to shut up. "No offense." 

"The thing is, Jack...the same way you're not employed by Ludo here, I'm not employed by you." Damiano scoffs, offended. "So I'll say it again, I'll sell it when I want to sell. That's it. Until then, I recommend you to shut up and enjoy the ride. I'm sure it's not every day someone like you gets to be around someone like us. Be fucking grateful." Salem covers her mouth, giggling, knowing that not even Negan would be that stupid to mess up things. _Not now at least._ _And besides, I deserve a vacation._ "They are always so entitled huh?" He says in Italian, earning a laugh from her and a glare from Negan, just in time for their food to arrive. 

"Ludovica, my dear, if you excuse me, I need to take this phone call. I'll be back in a minute." Damiano excuses himself, his security following along with him, leaving the two alone on the booth. 

"What's up with the long face?" Salem asks sipping on her water glass, an innocent expression on her face, making him even angrier. "You don't like seafood?"

"You think this is fucking funny?" He slaps her hand, spilling water on their clothes.

"I did...you just ruined it." Salem groans and pushes him, trying to slide off the booth but he doesn't move. "What's wrong with you?" 

"What's wrong with me?! You! I had to deal with you and that fucking asshole all day, carrying all of your trash like a clown while you two horny fuckers had all the shitty superficial fun in the world and you have the nerve to ask what's wrong with me?!" After his rant Salem looks over where Damiano was and back at him, her eyes suddenly lighting up. "What?"

"Let's just kill him then." 

"What?" 

"Let's kill the guy and leave." She giggles, and slides quickly to the other side, running to the bathroom, leaving him behind.

"What happened?" Damiano chuckles, walking back to the table, Negan looks up, furious, doing his best to contain his anger. "Where's Lu?" 

"She's in the bathroom…I'll check up on her." He immediately stands up, his fists clenched. _I'll kill her, I'll fucking kill her._ Walking into the bathroom, he finds her sitting on the counter, trying to light up a cigarette. "What the hell you think you're doing?" 

"Waiting for you... isn't that obvious?" She scoffs, the lighter still not working. 

"Where did you get that?" He pulls the lighter off her hands, stuffing into his pocket. "And would stop joking about killing that guy? This is not a goddamn joke!" 

"But I'm bored! Usually, I don't have to entertain the victim this long." 

"You seemed to be having fun just fine, a few minutes ago." Negan scoffs, pulling her away from the counter. 

"Are you jealous?" She asks, with an amused expression, he gulps down and her smile grows bigger. "You're jealous! You're lime-green jello and you can't even admit it to yourself." Negan pushes her against the door, covering her mouth with his hand, his face inches away from hers. 

"Shut the fuck up! Shut up, you don't know what you're talking about, okay? You don't know shit about me. Are we clear?" She nods and he releases her. "Good. Now let's go before he comes after you."

"Ok...oh, and before I forget," Salem turns around, as if she just remembered something, pulling his face towards her, kissing his lips passionately. "For good luck." Turning around, she opens the door, finally lighting up her cigarette, Negan pats down his pockets, the lighter was now missing, he curses himself mentally. 

"Excuse me." An older woman with an expensive-looking fur coat snaps her fingers, getting their attention. "Smoking is not allowed here you know?"

"I told you to stop that. Put that shit down." Negan says between gritted teeth, Damiano slowly making his way towards them, Salem still had the cigarette on her lips, defying the woman. "Put that shit down, don't make a scene." 

"What took you so long?" He asks stroking her face, picking the cigarette from her lips, taking a long drag, his eyes savoring the woman's bitter expression when he confidently walks towards her table, tossing the cigarette inside her glass. "There." Salem giggles at his response while Negan rolls his eyes, annoyed. "I'm sorry, love but I have to go, you understand right?"

"Of course." She looks over to the woman's table, smirking. "I would fucking kill for that coat." He chuckles, kissing her the back of her hand, promising to visit her later. 

"Tell your employer I'll sell to the highest bidder. Right now he's in second place." Damiano taps Negan's shoulder, his security escorting him out. 

"Do you think we can have a lobster to go?" Salem asks poking his ribs, he just scoffs and walks away, ignoring her. "Or maybe dessert? Please?" 

"Let's go!" 

"Negan?" She calls him when they're almost back to the hotel, leaning towards his seat. "Can I ask you a question?" 

"No." 

"See? That's what I get for being polite. So...the thing is, the deal here is that you stay with me 24/7, right?" 

"Right…" Negan frowns, confused. "What's your point?" 

"What are you going to do when I fuck Damiano's brains out?" He could hear the mischievous smile on her voice. 

"You're not going to fuck him." 

"We never know, the longer we stay, the longer I'll have to play this role and let's just say that Ludovica is easier than I am, and we both know I'm pretty easy." 

"Stop it, Salem I'm warning you. Don't push me." 

"But it's ok because you're not jealous, right? Of course, you're not." Salem jokes, scratching his stubble beard. "The real question is, are you joining us or are you watching?" 

Negan hits the breaks of the car so suddenly she flies to the front seat, banging her head against the dashboard, but he gives her no time to react, pushing her to the passenger seat, pinning her down by the neck. 

"Fuck." She shudders, knowing that she crossed a line. 

"Is this what you want?" He presses harder. "Is this what you fucking wanted?" Negan leans in, breathing heavily, feeling her heartbeat on the tip of his fingers. "Very fucking well then. You're not going to fuck that motherfucker because if you do, I swear to God…" 

"What?" Salem asks, his tone sending shivers to her core. "What are you going to do?" Negan glares over her reddening face, crashing his lips against hers. "Tell me."

"I'll... I'll kill him. I'll kill myself." Negan can't believe the words that just came out of his mouth, he breaths against her skin, his eyes closed, a mixture of emotions inside him. 

"See? You and I aren't so different in the end." She chuckles when a car rushes by them, honking and cursing their lungs out, making him step away, and move the car of the middle of the street. 

"I fucking hate you." He tries to regain his posture back, but it's pretty much impossible now, he let his guard down, he even admitted things he now regrets admitting to. 

"You hate me huh?" Salem scoffs, the feeling of his hand still lingering on her skin. _Believe what you want, but I know the truth, and so does he_. "That sounds like the beginning of a love story, Negs, not the end of one." 

"I'm going to shower then I'm going to bed. So keep it down." Negan rubs his forehead, a pounding headache clawing its way in. When he lit up the light, the room was already packed with all the presents Damiano had bought her over the course of the day. "You've got to fucking kidding me." 

"What?" She claps excited, jumping on the bed, a big box with a bow next to it, Salem tosses the lid away, gasping surprised. "It's perfect, oh my God!" It was the coat that woman was wearing in the restaurant. "I'm going to ask for room service. You want something?" 

"A new job would be peachy." Negan shouts before banging the bathroom door shut. 

"Someone's bothered as fuck." Salem orders two desserts, trying to ease the mood. After a few minutes, a knock on the door followed by the room service announcement makes her jump from bed, wrapping the coat around her body. "You can leave by the table, please." 

"Hi, Salem." That voice catches her by surprise, turning around abruptly, a mixture of anger and fear taking over her. He closes the door then puts a tray on the table. "It's been a while." 

"Billy." There he stood, the exact same way Salem remembered him, tall, dark and deadly, except he now has a big scar on the left side of his face. He was dressed up as a concierge, gloves on his hands, that sight alone made her anxious. "New scar?"

"We need to talk." Russo takes a step closer, the shower running still audibly running. "That agent, Dixon." 

"What about him?" Salem asks, taking a few steps back, Negan's jacket laying on a chair. _Please, please, God, if you're real, please make that gun still be there._

"He's setting you up." 

"What?" 

"The FBI is using you. That agent Dixon, that guy is lying to you and I can prove it."

"How?" Salem crosses her arms in disbelief. "How could you possibly know?" 

"Because...I'm his source, I've been for a while now." 

"You what?" 

"Come on, you can't be that surprised. Who else knows you the way I do?" He chuckles, locking the door. "You can't count on anyone else but me. And you know it. So sit down, shut up and listen because I can explain everything. We don't have much time." 

"I'm listening." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooo...is there anyone in this whole world who's not trying to trick poor Salem? Probably one, here's a hint, his name starts with N and ends with egan lol 
> 
> Next chapter there's some smut and some violence, not in this particular order hehehe
> 
> Thanks for reading! Don't forget to leave a comment
> 
> See ya 💖✌🏼


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heey!  
> So, here's the new chapter, it's pure angst (fluff too, I'm not that bad lol)
> 
> Sorry for taking longer than usual, work's been killing me lately.
> 
> Thanks for reading, see ya! :)

"I knew I fucking saw a familiar face on that club. Of course, it was you. This better be good." Salem gruffs sitting down by the counter. "And straight to the fucking point, we have less than five minutes till they track me down here." 

"It takes a while for them to notice, we're at the corner of the street." Russo chuckles pushing a glass towards her, a small device on his hand, cutting down the transmission on her bracelet. "Negroni still right?" 

"So you do remember, congratufuckinglations." Salem immediately takes a sip, the shock of seeing him still there. "Four minutes and twenty seconds,  **go** ."

In the meantime, Negan walks out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist, his wet hair messy falling on his face. 

"And can you please clear the fucking room before going to sleep?" He says swallowing some pain medicine, his head still throbbing. "This place is a goddamn mess." No response, absolute silence. "Salem?" 

Walking into the room where she was last seen, he hoped to find her lying in bed, cuddling with the new coat like a baby but instead he was greeted with an empty bed, only a note by the silver plate, two desserts untouched. 

**Went out for fresh air. Don't eat all the food :)**

**Salem.**

"FUCKING SNEAKY, SLUT, BITCH GODDAMN CUNT!" He immediately rushes to get dress, stumbling and struggling to put on his pants, calling to Jesus at the same time, he finally picks it up after 4 rings. "Jesus, Salem's gone."

"What???? How?" 

"No time to explain, where is she?" 

"Hang on." He hears him typing furiously. "God, Daryl's going to freak out. He's on his way to meet his source." 

"Do not tell him right now, okay? Just...just let me fix this fucking mess." 

"Good luck with that." Jesus chuckles nervously. "Hmm, that's weird. It says she's still there." 

"Here?" Negan bangs the door, pressing the elevator button like a mad man. Screw it I'm taking the stairs. "Are you sure? She said she needed fresh air." He's already halfway through the steps, his stamina running low. 

"Maybe she's on the roof or something," Jesus suggests. 

"Couldn't you just tell me that sooner? Goddamn it." He turns around, running to the top, breathing heavily. _ I'm getting too old for this shit.  _ "Keep an eye out, let me know if she starts to move."  _ I'm going to fucking kill her one of these days. _

"I'll kill you, you know that don't you?" Salem orders another drink, the third in only five minutes. "If I found out you fucking lied to me, you know I’m going all Old Testament on your sweet ass." 

"The proof I've given you isn't enough?" Russo asks sarcastically, folding the pictures and papers and stuffing back into his pockets after filling her in with the complicated details. "I'm telling you the truth. He's setting you up, the second you hand your dad over, he's putting you behind bars back again. Any collateral damage on the way, it's on you. Salem, they will never let you get your revenge, they want him arrested not dead." 

"I knew that."  _ I mean...I knew they wouldn't let me actually kill someone, especially someone who knows as much he does but using me as a scapegoat? I can get the literal death sentence! It's not fucking fair _ . "And what about my family?" 

"They're not even moving a finger after them, but I am. Sorry...but your family it's my only leverage. " 

"Are they...hm, dead?" 

"...most of them, yes." He admits it, clearing his throat when she finishes the drink in two gulps. "Look, I gotta go, we’ll probably meet again, Daryl’s been planning on it I guess. I just don't know what he has it planned for now but if he ever-"

"Fake surprise, this conversation never took place, keep up the appearances. I got it." She's already ordering another, he slides a tiny phone, that device to mute the microphone, and pays the bill. "Billy?" 

"Yes?" He turns his head when she calls his name, her voice lower than usual. 

"Does he knows?" Salem mutters, gulping down a lump that had formed on her throat. 

"Who?" 

"Negan...does he knows about this, about Daryl's plan?" 

"I'm not sure, probably yes, probably no. Why?" 

"Curiosity." She couldn’t help but feel somewhat relieved, yes there’s a chance he knows about it but there’s also a chance he doesn’t. "See you around then."

"See you around." He ignores the urge of asking her about it and rushes out on the street, mingling with the people on the sidewalk, quickly disappearing. 

"See you…" Salem is looking down on her drink, the anger of being used, again, building up inside her. I’m going to give him the benefit of the doubt, for now at least. 

"She's not on the roof." Negan shouts on the phone, coming down the stairs as fast as he could. "What kind of shitty-ass tracker you put it?" 

"Hey don't blame me, you're the one responsible for keeping her in check, not me!" Jesus snaps back. "Have you checked at the bar?" 

"Of course I checked the bar I'm not fucking stupid-" He didn't even have the time to finish his sentence running through the lobby, the big glass door open, slowing down he immediately recognizes the woman at the counter, the bartender placing a bottle next to her. "Found her." Walking towards her, he notices she's drinking alone, which sends some kind of relief to his mind. 

"Where the hell were you?" He grabs her arm, pulling her from the bench, dragging her with hurried paces. "Did you lost your fucking mind?" 

"Get the fuck off me." Salem pulls away, turning her back, going back to the bar's direction, grabbing the bottle from the counter, walking past him to the elevator. “I told you I needed air, what’s the fucking matter?”

"What's gotten into you?" Negan asks noticing her sudden change of behavior. "Is this about the dessert? Shit, go ahead, order all the desserts you want then." 

"God, no...just... stop talking." She enters the elevator, a pounding headache tearing its way in, she already pressing the button desperately to close it but he keeps the doors open, entering next, on the verge of snapping. 

"Salem, what the hell is wrong with you?" He tries to get it out of her but she just stares back at him, sipping the bottle from time to time, immersed deeply in thoughts. "Please, you can't just decide to act all offended and snowflake-like out of a sudden." The elevator doors open up and she simply walks away, avoiding him. "I'm not done talking to you!" 

"Well, I'm done listening to it." Salem walks straight to the bathroom, banging the door shut, the phone and the little device safely hidden on a now empty bottle of lotion. She tried not to blame herself for letting Negan get too close, she tried not to blame herself for the feelings she developed and still was developing along their way but the thing is, you can blame yourself for anything if you think about it long enough, even if deep down, you don’t want to.

A long hot shower filled with tears of anger after, she walks out of the bathroom, wrapped around a fluffy robe, Negan sitting by the edge of the bed, on the phone with what she figured to be Jesus or something like that, laying on the same bed, she turned her back to him, covering herself with the blanket, cursing herself over and over, plans of escaping if necessary being created by the minute, until she finally fell into a dreamless heavy sleep, the constant thought repeating itself.  _ He doesn’t know, no way he does _ . Unaware of the hand stroking her hair softly in the middle of the night, for a good time he stood there, running his fingers through her strands, thinking, debating in waking her up, his curiosity gets the best of him and next thing he knows, he’s shaking her shoulder. 

“Salem?” After a few more soft strokes he whispers her name, pulling his hand away. “Are you awake?” He nudges her shoulder gently and she shifts in bed, turning to his side, half asleep half awake. “You feeling better now?”

“Yeah, why do you ask?” Salem rubs her eyes, yawning, still placing herself. 

“Well, a few hours ago you looked like you wanted to tear my fucking head off so figure it’s better to check.” They stood in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, both with their heads full of questions that would remain unanswered for the moment. 

“Negan?”

“Yes?”

“Do you think that we ever could have been, I don’t know...friends? Without all this? You know, this...baggage.” She asks quietly, Russo said he didn’t know if Negan was aware of Daryl’s plan, so she figured it wouldn’t kill her to give him the benefit of the doubt. Or at least she hoped it wouldn’t. 

“I thought you said we weren’t going to be friends.” Negan looks down and sees the hint of a smile on her lips when she giggles and gets closer, her head on his chest, for a few seconds she waited for him to push her away but for her (and Negan’s) surprise, he didn’t. _ He doesn’t know, he can’t know about it, I can feel it, Daryl’s hiding it from him too.  _

“And we won’t be, but you know what I mean, don’t play dumb, it’s not a good look on someone your age.” He slaps her head playfully. “Come on, I asked you a question.” 

“Honestly, I think you and I would always find something to fight about.”  _ You’re too much like me _ , he finally realized that they were very much alike, probably one of the reasons that it made them argue and get under into each other skin. __

“Some friends fight...it doesn’t mean that they’re not friends.”  _ So do some couples too _ . Salem blinks heavily, tired of overthinking, just wishing to enjoy the feeling.  _ This feels nice... _

“What happened, Salem?” He takes advantage of the moment where everything seems calm and quiet to ask her what he was eager to know ever since he found her on the bar earlier. “You went out, scared the shit out of me.”

“Yeah, sorry about that but I needed fresh air.”  _ I can’t let him get suspicious of anything, if everything works out, I won’t have to drag him into this...more than I already did. _ “You thought I ran away?” Salem snorts, sitting on the bed, looking at his face, the room was dark but his face still visible, the city lights creating a yellowish glare. “You did, didn’t you?”

“Can you fucking blame me? You did run away before.” 

“But I don’t have any reasons to now.”  _ Well, I do but there’s still work to be done.  _ “Would you miss me?”

“Of course...not.” 

“Really? So you’re telling me, that if I were to run away tomorrow with Damiano to some desert island, you wouldn’t bat a single eyelid?” She raises an eyebrow in suspicion, when he says nothing, avoiding their eyes to meet, she pats his chest. “See? No point in hiding anymore.” 

“Then what’s the whole point of this?” 

“Truth be told, I’m sick of the chase but I can’t help it...I need to fix this before I can move on and I guess my life hasn't always been happy, or easy, or exactly what I wanted...but I just have to try not to think too much about those certain things, or else…” 

“Or else?”

“I’ll get my feelings hurt.”  _ Again. _ “And as  Hemingway once said,  you can’t get away from yourself by moving from one place to another, so I don’t think I have no other choice but to deal with this, in my terms. Do you understand what I’m trying to say?”

“Are you sure you’re awake?” Negan asks chuckling. “But I think I get whatever you’re trying to tell me.”  _ Or at least I’ll pretend to. _

“Good.” She lays back on his chest, taking a deep breath, inhaling his scent, she had officially made her mind just now, Negan didn’t know about Daryl’s plan, therefore there was no reason for her to continue her tantrums. “Cause when the time comes, I’m going to kill him.” He looks down, confused. _ Him? Who? Damiano? The guy they’re hunting?  _

“Huh? Who?”

“Don’t worry about it. You’re safe, I won’t hurt you.” And even though he hated to admit to himself, he felt like she meant it, as if she wasn’t playing games anymore, she truly was being completely honest and he felt safe around her for the very first time since they’ve met and it felt good, like if for the first time, after a long time actually, he could see himself trusting and caring for someone else other than himself for once, even if that someone wasn’t completely reliable. “Goodnight, sleep well.”

“Yeah...” Negan takes a deep breath and without putting any given thought, he pulls her closer, kissing the top of her head, sleep already coming to claim him on its grasp now that everything seemed to be settled. “You too, kitten, sleep well.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY NEGAN COMES IN TERMS WITH HIS OWN FEELINGS! 
> 
> I considered adding a fight but nah, let Salem rest for a while, she deserves it lol (also, I found a song that pretty much it's a perfect fit for Salem idea around Negan and their path, feel free if you want to hear it or ignore it, either way, it's a good song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCxQ-uEC3F0 Killer - Phoebe Bridgers)
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! I promise that the next chapter there will be some smut, it just didn't seem fitting on this chapter, hehe
> 
> Leave a comment if you can :)  
> See ya


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is more of a filler/break and it's absolutely NSFW 😬

"I cannot believe you convinced me to this shit." Negan groans annoyed with the blinding sun on his face, covering his eyes with his hand. "Salem, come on, is this really fucking necessary?" 

"I don't see why are you complaining already...here, have a mimosa, it's really good." Salem reaches out the glass on her hand, not darting her eyes from the book she was reading. "And why aren't you in a bathing suit?" 

"This isn't a goddamn vacation!" He ignores the drink she was offering him, sitting back on the chair and sighing. "And would you please stop ordering these stupid drinks?"

"It's not called bottomless mimosas for nothing, genius." She scoffs putting the book down, raising her sunglasses. "Get to the point Negan, what's bothering you?" 

"Huh?" 

"There's gotta be something on your mind, cause you can't possibly tell me that you're having a bad day when I'm laying by your side wearing nothing but a bikini." Salem leans in smiling, the smell of her coconut lotion hitting his nostrils, she takes in his casual look and bites her lips, amused. "You want me to rub sunscreen on you? I would be more than glad to." 

"Ugh, stop being cute." Negan let his eyes roam free on her body, debating the idea on his mind but quickly turns his focus on keeping the appearances. 

"Hm, not possible." She chuckles leaning back on the chair, lowering her sunglasses, soaking in the sun for a while, almost dozing off. 

"How bad did it hurt?" Negan suddenly asks her, turning to face her chair. 

"Huh?" Salem blinks heavily, his fingers tracing the scar on her stomach. "Oh, that...well, on a scale of one to ten, I would give it a...6, maybe a 7." 

"So why did you do it?" His mind wanders back to the night where everything changed for good. He remembered that even though he was suspicious of her, the second he heard her screaming for help, it all went away and he was more than quick to act, but for a while, he tried to convince himself that this was what anyone in his place would've done. But now he wasn't so sure anymore. 

"Had to improv, you were onto me and that fucking bitch wasn't planning on let me go." She shrugs remembering how betrayed she felt that night. _That one, on a scale of one to ten, was 11._ "But that's cool, I knew you wouldn't let me die." 

"How?" 

"You like me too much." Salem turns her head to face him, expecting a snarky remark but nothing came, his eyes still glued to her other scars and now fading bruises. "Negan...are you...ok?

"And that one?" He traces another scar by her ribs. 

"Oh...hm, that was in Berlin, a kidnapping gone wrong." Negan scoffs raising his brows, amused by the casualty in her voice. 

"This one?" 

"A few months ago, a silly argument over shampoo." 

"Jail life wasn't the best was it, doll?" 

"Meh, could've been worse." She shrugs, looking down at her stomach, knowing damn well that jail life was the actual worse, Negan's fingers stopped on another scar and she actually laughed. "That one is actuality a funny story." 

"Really? Then do tell." Before she can continue, Negan's phone rings and he takes a deep breath before answering the call. "Yeah?" 

"Negan, where's Salem?" It was Daryl. "Is she with you?" 

"Yeah, Salem's right over there." He turns to look at her seat and it's already empty. "Where the hell is she?!" The sound of something falling in the water catches his attention just in time to see her emerging from the water. "Never mind, she's right here. Why?" 

"We need you to bring her over." His voice seemed stressed, nervous and Negan couldn't help but to instantly get suspicious. 

"Why?"

"Does it matter?" Daryl is quick to shut him down, harshly. "Just...do your job and bring her over ok?" 

"Yes, sir." 

"Good. And Negan," He pauses, taking a deep breath. "Try not to startle her. We need her calm." And with that he hangs up, leaving a doubtful Negan grasping his phone. 

"Hey, blondie. Let's go." Negan comes closer to the edge and calls her, earning only a quick glance. "Come on, we don't have time for this." 

"Time for what?" Salem laughs and continues to swim, carefree. 

"You know damn well what I mean." 

"No, I don't think I do." She stops in the middle of the pool, chuckling. "Can you explain it to me...very slowly?"

Negan groans, coming closer to the edge, trying to remember Daryl's words to keep her calm even though himself wasn't. 

"Daryl called, we need to go. "

"Go where?" Salem swims slowly closer to the edge, interested. 

"I don't know." Negan crouches, trying to pull her out but she quickly swims away. 

"You don't know or you just don't want to tell me?" 

"If I said I don't know it's because I don't fucking know okay?" He snaps at her and Salem pouts, floating in the middle of the pool. "Don't make me drag you." 

"Oh, I'm counting on it." She scoffs, defying him. "What's the matter? Scared of getting wet?" 

"If you don't swim your ass over here in two fucking seconds I'm turning that stupid fucking coat you love so much into a doormat." 

"Okay! Okay! Calm down." Salem raises her hands in defeat, swimming towards the edge. "No need to make such harsh threats, geez. Help me up, I think I drank too much." 

The second Negan catches her hand to pull her out she forces him down, pulling him into the pool, laughing so much she nearly forgot how to swim. 

"YOU'VE GOT TO BE FUCKING KIDDING ME!" He roars in frustration, forgetting all about their covers completely. " **FOR FUCKS SAKE SALEM, I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!** " Negan rubs his eyes to remove the water from it, pushing his hair back, the sound of her laugh still going with no sign of slowing down. "Happy now?" 

"Yeah, actually I am." Salem's still laughing and smiling at him and for a second he forgot about what was he mad about, slowly swimming closer to where she was with an expression that made her stop laughing and take a few steps back. "What? Why are you looking me like that?"

"Nothing…we should get going." He swims to the edge, climbing off, his clothes soaking and sticking to his body, her eyes studying his figure for a few seconds before climbing off too. 

"So you're not mad?" Salem asks surprised and slightly disappointed, following his soaked steps. 

"Oh no, baby doll, I'm fucking furious, raging even, but I'll have the time to get back at you eventually." Negan puts a towel around her shivering body, escorting her inside. "You'll see. Now get changed, they're waiting for you." 

"You're not sending me to a trap are you, Negs?" She jokes not aware of the earlier phone call tone, opening the room door, shivering from time to time. 

"What? No, of course not." 

"Good." 

Salem is busy picking her clothes and Negan takes this chance to quickly get in the shower, his phone dead fried on the counter, staring himself on the mirror he takes a deep breath, displeased with the idea of Daryl setting her up to something. 

But what could he possibly do about that? She was a convicted prisoner and he was only there because she tricked him into going, he was there to guarantee she wouldn't run away or kill someone, not even in that particular order. 

_So why can't I convince myself that whatever the shit they're planning doesn't fucking tickles my balls in the wrong way?_

"Hey, quick question, matter of life or death." He hears the bathroom door open without a knock, Salem sitting on the counter, grabbing a pair of scissors. "Do you think I could sport bangs?"

"What, Jesus Christ....don't you know how to fucking knock?" Negan shouts, startled with the intrusion. 

"Of course I do, I just decided not to." She stays put on the counter, trimming the ends of her hair. "How long do you plan to stay there? The chlorine is going to dry out my hair." 

"Well golly gee shucks, if you're in such a fucking rush, why don't you just fucking join me then?!" Negan jokes turning the faucet off but before he can exit the shower stall, Salem is already standing by the foggy glass door, sliding it open. 

"Salem…" Negan takes a deep breath, trying not to be affected by her nude presence but it was proving to be incredibly hard, he was human after all. "...what the hell you think you're doing?" 

"What? You were the one who told me to join you." She enters the big shower, sliding the door shut. "What the hell was I supposed to do...say no?" 

"We don't have time for your little games." 

"Good, 'cause this isn't one of them." She wets her already damp hair and grabs the shampoo on the shelf, leaning towards Negan more than necessary, lathering her hair with the caviar and jasmine-scented product. "You know, the faster we get this done, the faster we can meet the Walmart version of Batman…"

"You're unfuckingbeliveble." He grunts, clearing his throat, turning her around and massaging her scalp with long skilled fingers, taking a deep breath to keep his _higher_ head focus, but it quickly washes down the drain when she lets out a low moan caused by his massage. Negan stops and pulls out his hands, making her turn around surprised, a small wrinkle in the middle of her brows. 

"What?" Salem instantly brings her hand to her hair, fearing a bald spot or something like that. "Negan, what is it?" 

"...screw it." He pulls her into a wet sloppy kiss, his hand at the nape of her neck, keeping her in place as he devoured her lips with such ferocity she was sure that could taste blood amidst the still warm water. 

"There's that Negan I fucking missed." Salem wraps her arms around his neck, bringing him closer as his hands trailed down her body, breathing heavily when he pulled her head back, leaving the sun-kissed skin covered in love bites. "I know you missed me too." 

"Shut up." He lifts her up in his lap, wrapping her legs around his waist, pinning her against the cold wall. "Just...shut the hell up." 

"Admit it." Salem grunts when the arm around her waist squeezes her harder, holding her in place as he slid her down his length without proper warning, she wraps her arms around his broad shoulders, pulling and holding onto him to dear life, nails digging into his warm soaked skin. "Fuck…"

"Yeah, that's it, you filthy bitch. Just shut up and take it." Ramming into her, Negan sinks his teeth into her shoulder as Salem throws her head back, completely lost and immersed in the moment, moaning and gasping as his movements became faster and harder each time, the sound of the running water and skin against skin taking over the room. 

"Don't stop, fuck, I'm almost there." She clings on his shoulder so she could move at least at little as Negan thrust her against the wall, his face buried deep on the curve of her neck, marking her skin without caring. Noticing she's closer by the second he brings her head down to a hungry kiss, whispering filthy words between the even filthier kisses, smiling when she finally cums around him, her body trembling against his own as he kept up his pace, pulling out when his time came, his warm juices mixing up the warm water. 

"Fuck." That's all he says when he catches his breath back, Salem still leaned against the cold tile, gathering her own strength since her legs felt like they would work anymore for a while. She pulls him into a kiss, her chest glued to his. "Holy fucking shit, I've missed this."

"See?" She chuckles, pushing the soaked hair away from his face, bringing him closer than ever. "I knew it." 

"Don't let it get to your pretty little damaged head." Negan scoffs, kissing her back, his arms wrapped around her waist, Daryl's meeting long forgotten. "Or else you'll get nasty twisted ideas." 

"Oh, baby, is a little too late for that, don't you think?! Besides...what fun there is in playing it safe? You're already in hell, might as well dance with the devil, right?!" 

"Fuck, you're so full of shit." _But maybe... just maybe she's right_. 

Even though he would probably regret it later, Negan thought and decided that later is later and now is now, she was right, he might've been dancing with the devil, yes, but it was so much more fun than dancing alone (danger too) and the fucked up thing was, they both knew it but it was a silent agreement between the two that such thing didn't matter at the moment, maybe eventually they would reap the consequences, maybe they wouldn't. What matters is that they didn't care about them...not now at least. 

**_We're fools whether we dance or not._ ** ****

**_So we might as well dance._ **

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyy! This chapter was kind of "smutly filler sort of thing" cause they both needed a break for the whirlwind is about to come lol 
> 
> Thanks so much for taking the time to read this. I'm not used to write smut so...sorry if was cringy 😬 (promise I'll do better eventually) 
> 
> Hope you guys like this chapter, feel free to tell me so ✌🏼
> 
> See ya soon I guess 💖


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, long chapter ahead! Hope you guys like this one, took me a while to get it right but thanks for reading

"What took you two so long?" Jesus whispers the second Negan pull over, opening the car door. "Almost thought you wouldn't come." 

"Oh no, of course, we did." Salem jumps off the car, giggling at her own joke, her humor especially good that day. "I needed to catch up on sunbathing so…"

Jesus glances at Negan who had a stern expression, doing the best he could to not give it away their earlier interaction while Salem clearly had other things in mind. 

"Just...hurry up, we've been waiting for quite some time and Daryl's not happy." 

"Shocker…" Negan jokes leading Salem into the building, his hand on the small of her back, not going unnoticed by Jesus, yet he decides not to say anything, they were really about to throw an ice bucket on her anyway. 

"The cute one's here," Salem announces when entering the room where Daryl waited impatiently for the two, the over a one hour delay clearly bothering him. "What's the job today, boss?"

"You're late." 

"Yes and I'm deeply sorry for it. It won't happen again." She salutes him dramatically, taking in the room while Daryl gave Negan a hard time about their lateness, bringing him to another room. 

"She's here and she's pretty fucking relaxed." _I've made sure_ _of it._ "What's the whole secretive fuss about?" 

The door is flung open and Negan's mouth goes wide open in surprise. 

"He's not going to talk." The man cleaning his bloody knuckles announces flexing his fingers. "Is she here yet?" 

"Russo…" 

"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT PIECE OF SHIT OF A PLASTIC DOLL IS DOING HERE?" Negan roars pointing his finger at a smirking Russo. 

"Calm down!" Daryl gets between the two before things could get physical, Russo not backing up from a challenge. "Russo has been our inside source for a while now! He's on our side!" 

"Bullshit! I can tell a rat when I see one and a rat is exactly what I'm seeing! How could you set her up like this?" Negan asks pushing Daryl back, making him stumble on Billy who is quick on getting into Negan's face. 

"I'm a rat? If I recall correctly,  **I'M** the one who's keeping her alive all that time while you did what? Carry her shopping bags? Drove her around?" 

"Keep it down! Both of you!" 

"Who you think that prevented her to get shot at the club? You?! Please, while you were getting bounced at the door, I was tracing the shooter!" 

Negan gulps down remembering that night where at least three shots were fired at the club where Salem met Damiano for the first time, also one of the first times he recalled being truly jealous and that got the best of him. 

"What's up with all the screaming here? Are we to watch Batsy sex tape or something?" Salem laughs opening the door, Jesus right behind her, failing to keep her from nosing around. Her eyes go wide when she realizes who's in the room, the acting switch flicking it on. 

_ Showtime _ . 

"Shit…" Negan runs his hand on his face, predicting the upcoming reaction. 

"Perfect, just perfect!" Daryl doing the same. 

"Salem…" Russo gets ready for the show to come. "Before you say anything-"

"YOU!" Salem runs past Daryl, pushing him out of her way without a care, kicking Russo right on his crotch, punching his face next. "YOU FUCKING TRAITOR SON OF A BITCH!" 

"Hot diggity dog!" Negan laughs as Russo crumbles upon the ground, groaning in pain, Salem still going at it, kicking him as he was down.  _ Now I get it why Daryl wanted her calm.  _

"You knew!” She screams furious, Jesus struggling to hold her, his eyes begging for Negan's help. “You fucking knew and you didn't say anything!”

"I can explain!" Russo groans before pulling her leg down, making her fall into the ground with a loud thud, pinning her down by her wrists. "LISTEN TO ME!" He screams close to her face. "I DID IT TO PROTECT YOU!" 

"GET OFF!" She struggles with him, throwing a tantrum, Russo was overpowering her, squeezing her in a bruising manner. "LET ME GO!" Negan is quick to pull Russo away from her, standing between them, shielding her, Daryl reaching out his hand, helping Russo out. 

"LET'S ALL CALM DOWN OKAY?!" Daryl orders when she tries to walk past Negan, who quickly grabs her by the waist, caging her in. "Negan, take Salem to the other room! I'll be there in two seconds." Salem was fighting against Negan’s grasp, kicking the air and throwing herself around.

"I kinda wanna see how this goes…" he chuckles at Russo, earning a glare from the dark-haired man. "But you're the big boss. Come on, kitten, you need to learn how to play nice with mutts." 

“I’m going to kill him!” She cries furiously, failing to escape from his arms. 

"I think you popped one of his balls." Negan laughs setting her down in a chair, her hair a disheveled mess. "I think they're definitely not supposed to pop." 

"Did you knew?" She snaps at him, still playing her part. "Did you know this whole time that he was working with them?" 

"What? No!" Negan scoffs offended. “No, I did not know.”

"Are you lying to me?" 

"No!" He says way too quickly, noticing how eager he was to be on her good side again. _ Wait a damn minute...she's the one who lied to me over and over… _ "Even if I did, this is my fucking job! You can't blame me for doing it!" 

Salem frowns at his response, breathing heavily, not having actually taking into consideration the initial reason that Negan was there and even worst, he was a police detective, they were pretty much literal enemies from before the very beginning but the thought of him choosing to get his job actual done bothered her. Badly. 

"You would choose your job...over me?" She asks him, genuinely interested.” Would you?”

"Salem…" Negan takes a deep breath, carefully thinking, processing the words that were about to escape his lips but Salem was an overthinker inpatient anxious person, which means that if she wasn’t given a reply, she would quickly come up with one herself. That has gotten her in trouble so many times over the years and it apparently still did. “Look, you need to understand that-” 

"Are you calmer now?" Daryl burst into the room interrupting whatever Negan was planning and taking way too long to say. "I know this might come as a big shock but-"

"No, I  **understand** ." She stands from her seat, bumping into Negan’s shoulder on purpose. "You were just doing your job right?!" Daryl glances at Negan surprised with her reaction. “I can’t let myself forget that.” _ Again. _

"Can you guarantee me you can work with Russo without kicking him to the ground?" 

"Sure...it's not my first rodeo with him after all." She walks past Daryl, standing by the door. "I supposed you brought me here for another reason than a dramatic meeting with an old co-worker so if we could get into it, that would be great." 

\-------------------------------

"So you're telling me that's the one who ruined my night at the club the other day?" Salem scoffs looking at the tied and beaten man through the glass. "Fucking Alfie?" 

"I don't why you're that surprised." Russo chuckles across the room, at a safe distance, Negan was outside talking with Jesus, he couldn't stand being near Billy now and he didn't want to think about what Salem had asked earlier. 

_ Would I choose my job over her?!  _ He suddenly felt stupid to even be questioning himself that. _ Of course, I would put my job before her, what the hell is she thinking? She's pretty much a goddamn serial killer! What the hell am I doing? _

"You know he never liked you." Russo added flexing his fingers, an ice pack on his bruised cheek. 

"I'm not talking to you." She says between gritted teeth. "On our side or not, you still are a fucking rat." Glancing at him, Salem quickly blinks playfully earning an eye roll out of him. "So...I guess Ratatouille over there failed to get Alfie talking. Can give it a try?" 

"Please, if I didn't manage to get him to talk, I doubt you can do it." 

" **Boss** , can I?" She ignores Russo and turns to Daryl, giving him her best puppy eyes. 

"That was actually one of the reasons we brought you here today. Billy tried his way but...and you have a gift to annoy people until you get what you want, so...have at it." Salem jumps clapping excited. "BUT NO KILLING!" 

"Party pooper." She pouts opening the door and entering the room where Alfie was tied to a chair, blindfolded. 

"What is happening here?" Negan asks Daryl, still annoyed with Russo presence. "Where's Salem?" 

"Working." Russo signs with his chin to the mirror. "Take a seat, partner, enjoy the show." 

"Shut your fucking mouth, I'm not talking to you." He turns to Daryl. "I can't believe you are working with this sneaky bastard. And we are on board with torture now? What the hell are we?" As if he was one to talk but that's the beauty of hypocrisy. 

"I don't understand why are you so bothered by me when you seemed to be getting off just  _ smoothly _ fine with Salem. Think of me as her older and not as impulsive version." 

"I wouldn't say they are getting off smoothly, I mean...Salem can be really, really hard to work with." Jesus chuckles nervously, walking into the room with a middle-aged man who stared the room with wide eyes. 

"We are fucking fine not that is any of your fucking business. I'm getting my job done and that's fucking it." 

"Who the hell are you?" Russo asks pointing at the man. 

"I'm Edward Miller, the agency sent me here to get her psychological evaluation in check." 

"It was not scheduled for today." Daryl grabs his phone, checking the texts and emails. "But they never let me know of some things so, feel free to watch." 

"You look a little pale, maybe you should take a seat." Jesus pulls out a chair. "I think is best for you to wait outside." 

"No, they were very direct and clear.  **Watch** her." 

"Suit yourself, doc." Negan scoffs looking at the glass, just in time to catch her entering the room again, this time with a chair in hands.  _ Here we fucking go.  _

"Hey, poppy pants!" She sits down crossing her legs near him. "What's new?" 

"Salem." Alfie tries to escape his restraints, not needing to see to know who was standing there. "Can't say I'm surprised you're working with those pigs." He says in french and Salem slaps his face. 

"English, baby, you know how ignorant they are to know any other language." She jokes in French pulling the blinds from his eyes. "Don't make this harder than it has to be." 

"Fuck you! How about that?" He spits on the floor, defying her. "In English to keep you happy." 

"Better, very good!" She claps congratulating him. "Gotta say, when they shot the club, I was expecting anyone but you." 

"Really? Why is that?" 

"You was always a terrible shoot." She shrugs laughing. "But sorry, I shouldn't laugh it is sadder than it is funny…" 

"Yeah, you know what else is funny? How your own father despise you so much that he sets a bounty for your demented head." Alfie laughs, his teeth bloody from Russo earlier session, her face immediately changing to amusement to sadness, to hatred.  _ So this is going to go down on the hard way.  _

"What?" Negan asks surprised, Daryl rubbing his forehead distressed. "This whole fucking time, the motherfucker we are chasing its none less than Salem's daddy?" 

"You didn't know?" Russo chuckles, tossing the ice pack on the table. "Damn and here I was thinking you two were hitting off." 

"Russo, don't start." 

"You think you know her so fucking well don't you?" Billy ignores Daryl and gets into Negan's face. "But you clearly don't so let me enlighten you: Salem was adopted, no one knows about her biological parents or from where she came but we know she grew up under her dad’s wings and company. We've met when she was 19 and about that time, she already had killed over three people by they orders and she continued to do so until one day, out of the fucking blue, her old man got suspicious that someone was leaking confidential information and knowing his reckless daughter, he blamed her without confirming it so he lets out an order on our company to cut her off. And that's the short version of it." 

"Shit...that's fucked up, I...I didn't know. She never said anything." Negan murmurs immersed deeply in his past memories, a lot of things finally making some sense, some still left unknown. "Why didn't you tell me, goddamn it?!" 

"She specifically asked us not to. Don't take it personally, we needed her to trust us." Jesus pats his back, noticing his distress. "If this whole thing is too much for you, you can always back down, man, no one is forcing you here, I know it's a lot to take in." 

"No, I can handle it." 

"You sure?" Edward asks, taking notes of the unfolding situation. "She's not our regular standard case." 

"What? Are you going to fucking analyze me now? I thought she was the one that needed to get this mandatory shit done." 

"And she is but... look, I'll take the chance that she's not here but, from everything I read on her and listening about how you all talk about her, I think she’s been raised to be a psychopath but she’s actually a sociopath at most. Yes, she's clearly after revenge and is extremely volatile but she has shown interest in finding her real family, that betrayal clearly hurt her to the point she's even embarrassed to talk about it, she's ashamed, utterly embarrassed by it and no psychopath can feel that. She's human to the point she wants a family, wants to know where she comes from but I'm afraid she has high expectations of it...this can end horribly."

"So what, you're telling me if she does get to find her family, she's going to be full-on normal out of a sudden?" 

"Not exactly...have you ever heard that phrase:  _ t _ _ he child who is not embraced by the village will burn it down to feel its warmth _ _?"  _

Negan shakes a no with his head so Edward proceeds on his explanation.

"You see, if someone is raised to be violent, they tend to embrace it because that's all they know. Look at child soldiers, that's pure cruelty, it's dehumanizing, they're treated as a tool, not as a human being and this definitely takes a toll on their social skills development. In most of the cases, people like her tend to become manipulative, they often are socially irresponsible, even display an extreme difficulty with showing remorse and empathy or to even distinguish between right and wrong, in her case, it might be because she was never taught how." 

"You think there's a turning around for her?" Daryl questions, glancing at Negan astonished face who listened to each word with extreme attention, his own thoughts rushing through his mind.  _ That was what she meant when she said she was going to kill him. She wants to kill her father...fuck, I can't let her do it, there's no coming back from something like that. _ "That she...maybe can become normal one day?"

"I believe her dad tried to make her this way, it was easier to have a tool to control, something you could just aim at a direction and let it chaos take over, tools are meant to be used, not to feel and to survive in said unhealthy environment, Salem clearly has been suppressing all her feelings and emotions, bottling up them completely." 

"I think you're overreacting, doc. She's fine." Russo scoffs not wanting to admit that he too contributed with the process of manipulating and shaping Salem into what she is today. "She's fine, she's not a freaking white shark that you need to be afraid of. She's a human fucking being!" 

"Sure, she's human but they definitely strip away some of her normal healthy humanity, but you say she still has some of It left right?!...at least that's all we can hope for if we ever want to reinsert her in a normal functional society, we'll have to make sure she clings on that and not on her violent rooted impulses…-" Edward looks over Negan's shoulder through the glass, Salem with a knife in hand, circling the man on the chair. "Oh my God, is she going to kill him?"

"Fuck." Negan rushes out the room, kicking the door open, Daryl and Jesus following him, only Russo and Edward left behind. "Salem! Stop, drop the fucking knife!" 

She stops abruptly, frowning then absorbs the scene, giggling. 

"Oh, my bad, I was actually about to cut his restraints, his hands are turning purple and that's definitely not his color." She cuts the ropes to everyone's relief. "Besides, he told me everything I needed to know so…" 

"He did?" Daryl grabs him, pushing Alfie to the other, another agent coming to collect him. "Wow...what did you say to get him talking?" 

"I flashed him my tits." Salem laughs sitting on the chair, the knife still on her hands, the three standing men on the room all staring her in disbelief, especially Negan. "It's a joke! I'm kidding, geez." 

"What did you do?" Negan asks her, searching her for blood or anything, not trusting that she got him talking just by asking him nicely. "Salem, what the hell did you do?" 

"I did my job! I did my fucking job and I hoped that you, above everyone else, would understand that." She tosses the knife on the floor and walks past him, entering the room where Russo was waiting, filling them all in what the information she had gathered from Alfie earlier, leaving out a major detail. 

**10 MINUTES EARLIER**

"Hey, poppy pants! What's new?" 

"Salem. Can't say I'm surprised you're working with those pigs." 

"English, baby, you know how ignorant they are to know any other language. Don't make this harder than it has to be." 

"Fuck you! How about that? In English to keep you happy." 

"Better, very good! Gotta say, when they shot the club, I was expecting anyone but you." 

"Really? Why is that?" 

"You always were a terrible shoot. But sorry, I shouldn't laugh, it is sadder than it is funny…" 

"Yeah, you know what else is funny? How your own father despise you so much that he sets a bounty for your demented head." 

Salem turned around to glance at the desk, no recorders in sight, she knew she was being watched and that by now Negan knew what she's been hiding from him all this long so why bother.

"You know what? Any other day, if you had said that to me, I would slice your throat open and call it a day but today...today Alfie, it's your lucky day." Alfie laughs knowing he had hit her where it hurt but Salem is just standing there, watching him. "You done?" 

"I'm not telling you or your fuck buddy shit!" 

"I know the drill, Alfie. In our job, snitches get more than a couple of stitches, trust me, I know! That's why I'm offering you immunity." 

"You? Come on, Salem, we all know you're in no position of offering me anything from the FBI or anything like that." 

"Alfie, silly! The immunity I'm about to offer you is not from the FBI!" Salem chuckles, grabbing the knife. "It's from me." 

"Please, we know they're up for torture but I doubt they'll let you kill me. Go ahead, try it." 

"Baby, you're getting it all wrong! I'm talking about that old broad you call it a mother and that stupid kid you were dumb enough to raise having your profession." Alfie's smug smile drops immediately, his eyes going wide. "What? You thought I didn't know about your life outside the job?" 

"...how-" 

"I'm the boss's daughter you moron! Or at least I was...you think I wouldn't snoop around his ultra-secretive files given the chance?! Did you know that Olga, may God rest her Russian soul, had a husband too? Poor thing, he had no idea, he thought she was a pharmaceutical dealer or something like that if I do recall precisely." 

"You leave them alone or-" 

"You know, I had this thing where I didn't like to kill old people, usually I would let their healthcare system do that but for you,  **for you** , dear Alfie, I'll make an exception. And you know how creative I can get, I was thinking of keeping you posted on their progress and sending you piece by piece until I finish the puzzle, what do you think?" 

"Okay! Okay...fine." Salem smiles knowing she won, feeling thankful for her natural nosiness. "Give me your word that you're not touching them and I'll tell you whatever you want to know." 

"See?! I knew that those negotiation classes would pay off eventually." She asks everything she was dying to know, about her father's latest location and about their newest recruit, her current replacement, him being unknown even to Russo himself. "Great, this is all fucking great. We're almost done." 

"What more could you possibly want?" 

"I want a way out of this goddamn mess. From the Organization, the FBI, from Russo, from  **everything** ."  _ I never asked for any of this.  _ "I have a plan, it involves only you and me and if you don't fill out your part of the deal, we're having mommy for dinner with a side of daddy's little girl as an appetizer." _Gross, I know but I need this to work._

"I'm listening." _Fuck. Yes_! 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 😬 the hustle never stops
> 
> Anywaysss, next chapter we'll have (finally) the jewel auctioning, lot's of jealous Negan and their fist meeting with Salem's replacement. It's going to be fun. 
> 
> Leave a comment if you can, see ya


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Long overdue but feeling like shit these past few days. 
> 
> But anyways, here it is

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, double chapter Saturday! 
> 
> Let's all get therapy

"Do you think we can wrap this up? I'm feeling tied, locked up here...and not in the good fun kind!" Salem asks taping on the glass window separating her from the rest of the crew. 

After she took her sweet ass time explaining and telling everything Alfie had told her, Edward reminded Daryl the initial reason he was there in the first place and demanded to perform the psychological evaluation. Which wasn't taken lightly by her, as expected. 

"I need to talk with her, alone." Edward insisted. "She's not going to hurt me." Both Negan and Russo chuckled at the same time, glaring at each other next. 

"I wouldn't be so sure, doc. Salem always used to get a  _ rush _ after a job and, let's say, it takes a while to put it down." Billy laughs, clearly teasing Negan about their past interactions. "Maybe you should reschedule that thing." 

"And who are you to tell us what we can or we can't do, plastic doll?" Negan scoffs, putting his hand on Edward's shoulder, the concept of personal space being pretty much non-existent. "I'm with the shrink over here, maybe getting Hannibal to talk is the best thing that we could ask for." 

"...just...get this done quickly, before she breaks the glass with all that banging." Daryl sighs defeated, Salem still knocking on the glass repeatedly. "We'll be at the end of the hall if you need us, don't forget to record this." 

"Yeah, I'm kinda curious too." Jesus claps his hands, excited before following his boss. "Good luck, doc." 

"Thanks…" Edward took a deep breath, studying Salem's movements through the glass, her anxiety and impatience almost tangible as she walked around the room, taking deep breaths, twirling a strand of hair around her finger, cracking her neck from time to time. "Is she always like this?" 

"Actually-" 

"Nope." Negan quickly says, taking a seat, interrupting whatever Billy planned to say. "Something is clearly bothering her so why don't you take your smart ass over there and fix her?" 

Russo did his best to hold his smirk as Edward recomposed himself before walking out of the room. 

"So…" Russo sat by Negan's side, earning a glare from his annoyed posture. "How's it going?"

"Peachy keen, thanks for fucking asking." 

"I figured it. Don't worry, Salem can be a real bitch sometimes so feel free to complain all you want, I won't tell her." 

"Yeah right…" 

"It's true, partner. You can trust me." 

"I wouldn't trust you even if we're on the verge of a freaking zombie apocalypse, nice fucking try." Negan stands to get closer to the glass, Salem standing directly in front of him, her eyes focusing on her reflection but for a split second, he could swear seeing an expression of fear flashing across her face, immediately changing it to her usual facade when Edward opened the door. 

"Salem, it's a pleasure to meet you, my name is Edward Miller and-" 

"Don't care, just get to the point where you tell me I'm a worthless nut job and belong in a padded cell." She interrupts him turning her back to the glass, feeling eyes burning through her, figuring it to be Russo's or Negan's, not being sure whose she preferred at the moment. "It's why you came here, isn't it?" 

Edward sets up his recorder on the desk, clearing his throat and pressing the play button, ignoring her question. 

"Actually, I'm here to make sure you're not being mentally overwhelmed." He reaches out for her to seat. "To put in simpler words, I'm here just to make sure you're ok."

"There's no need for using "simpler words", I'm not dumb you know? I speak six languages." She sits crossing her arms. "But thanks, it's been a while since anyone asked me if I'm ok." Salem is being honest for once, taken aback by his approach. 

"I'm sorry to hear that, Salem." Edward makes a few notes on his notebook, taking a deep breath. "Just out of curiosity, have you ever been to therapy before?" 

"Well...does infiltrating into a Freudianism convection to poison their speaker for the night counts? Hypothetically speaking, of course." She asks eyeing his notes, Edward's frows, and shakes his head, covering his notes. "Then no." 

"Okay... I'm going to show you a few pictures and I want you to tell me how you feel about them, ok?" He reaches out and hands her a few pictures, all from her past victims. 

"I feel…" Salem raises them up, squinting. "Divided." 

"Divided?" Edward writes down quickly, Negan watching their exchange with wide eyes, his undivided attention at her final words. "Divided how?"

"Yeah...like, you know when you get a new pair of perfectly fabulous shoes and you know they gonna hurt your feet so fucking much so you kinda don't want to wear them but at the same time, all you can possibly want is to walk around in them and pretend there's no pain, like at all?" 

"You're comparing taking human lives... with the pain, you get by wearing new shoes?"

"Well, not just any shoes." She seems to ponder the idea on her head. "Perfectly fabulous ones..." 

"Salem...do you understand the concept of right and wrong?" 

"Of course!" Salem scoffs, getting annoyed by his question. "I know killing is wrong, I'm not demented." 

"Do you? Then why you do it?" Edward leans in, curious. 

"Because I was told to." She taps her long nails nervously on the table, shrugging. "Look, I'm not saying that I'm the major victim in the story ok? I'm not saying I was forced to neither, I guess, I...I don't know! I just did what they told me to do...what do you want me to say?"

"How old were you when you killed for the first time?" 

"Around 14…but it was an accident, hm, I didn't mean to...wait, why this even matter? What do you want?" 

"Why are you so upset about this? One second ago you were talking about shoes, wait, perfectly fabulous shoes and now you seem to be affected by a simple question-" 

"No, I'm fine! I'm fucking fine what I just don't understand is why I'm the only one taking the 10-inch dildo up my ass here! The only reason I killed people was because someone hired us to, run a fucking scan through their brains too. Why I'm the one being mentally evaluated here?" 

"Because they weren't raised to be assassins as you were." 

"So that's the big issue then? You're worried about my tragic missed childhood?" Salem scoffs quoting with her fingers, her leg bouncing under the table, knowing damn well how traumatizing and traumatic it was for her growing up, developing a twisted sick of humor and a thick skin was more of a way of survival in the end, she wouldn't wish her life to any kid, even though she would never admit it, she had feelings, she knew she wasn't a psychopath as they liked to label her of, she just was used to by how she lived by now and that was it, no sorrow and no joy into it, just get the job done and straight to the next. Of course that was before everything, before her betrayal, before jailz before Negan. 

"You want me to cry and weep about how daddy trained me to be a killer instead of... whatever is the shit parents trained their kids to do these days." 

"Speaking of parents." Edward is completely aware of the fact that Salem is a talker when in distress so he quickly changes the subject to collect as much information as possible. "You were adopted right?" 

"Yeah and so was Jesus... what's your point?" 

"Did you ever wonder about your biological parents before this job?" 

"I did," Salem replies after pondering for a while, leaning back against the chair. "A few times, yes."

"When?" He gets ready to write her response down, eagerly. "When?"

"Whenever that ad for your ancestry would pop up, you know? That one where you send a sample of your DNA and they would run it for you…kind of sketchy if you think about it huh?" 

"You're changing the subject." Edward smiles falsely, noticing it. "Why you don't want to talk about your biological parents?" 

"What is to talk about? I don't know anything about them, they might never wanted me in the first place from all I know. They might be the ones that doesn't want to talk about me, have you thought about that, doc?" 

"Curious, you immediately jump straight to the assumption that you were unwanted." Salem gulps down, her mouth twitching. "Did your father never talk about them?"

"No. Can we change the subject now?"  _ Please _ . 

"Fine, let's change the subject." He glances at the glass and she takes a deep breath, almost relieved. "Negan." 

Both Negan and Salem jerks on their seat, uncomfortable out of sudden, her relief now gone. 

"Now this is getting good." Russo leans in, interested. 

"What about him?" She raises her brows, clenching her jaw _. So fucking awkward, I bet my left tit he's watching this shit.  _ "And why are you insisting on talking about other people? You know, I thought that therapy would've been funnier than whatever this shit is. It was supposed to be like a talk show, for a fucks sake! I would be the guest and we would only talk about my favorite subject: me!" 

"You clearly had no issues killing people around him or near him. You ever killed his ex...what was her name again?" 

"Andy." Salem spits bitterly. "She had it coming, she knew it, I knew it and he knows it."

"Amber." Negan sighs, correcting her, annoyed by turning of events, now focusing on them. 

"Amber." Edward finds her name on his notes. "So, as I was saying, you had no issues killing her, her boyfriend and you clearly had more than one chance to kill him at some point too so... what I'm asking is, why didn't you?" 

"What?" 

"I want to know how can someone like you differentiate between people that is ok to kill and people who aren't. The people at the motel weren't part of your mission and you still did, what stopped you from doing the same to him?" 

"Someone like me? First of all, no one is like me, ok? Let's start there...and second of all, I wouldn’t have to commit crimes if people didn’t wrong me." Salem stands from her seat, uncomfortable, staring at her reflection, unaware that was exactly where Negan stood across the glass, staring back at her. "I'm sure I had a valid reason to do what I did." 

"Yet your old partner, Russo, has wronged you before and at this very moment, he's standing in the next room, alive and well." She rolls her eyes, ignoring his statement. "What is your relationship with both of these men?" 

"My relationship with them?" Salem scoffs, staring at her reflection. "Well, I believe you know it already." 

"Russo used to be your manager is that right?" 

"He used to be my handler. Hand me the missions, information, clean up after me if I fucked up. The perfect errand boy." She smirks hoping to annoy him. "Great taste in gifts too."

"And what about Negan?"  _ That fucker isn't letting this subject go.  _

"What about him?" 

"He's your current handler. How do you think this is going to end?" 

"Well, I know Batsy is after my replacement and-"

"I mean your relationship with him." 

"You don't know shit about that. Mind your fucking business…" 

"What I do know is that whatever it is the relationship you two have is not sustainable and it's just a matter of time until it takes one or both of you down." Edward stares deep down her eyes. "I know people like you tend to obsess over things, people, do you think this is what happened between you two? Just another object for you to grip and own as a prize, a souvenir?"

Salem's face twisted in an anguished expression and she ponders Negan's last words to her.  _ He's going to choose his job over me, I have go leave before that happens. You stupid bitch _ . 

"Time's up, I'm done talking with you, this is useless. A waste of my fucking time." 

"I thought you liked to talk about yourself." 

"And I do! But not like this and not with you." 

"So let's change the subject then." 

"No, I'm sick of this bullshit. I'm not going to sit here as a total div and vent to you, a complete poorly dressed stranger, about my personal life for like, one hour, and expect a freaking epiphany from it, ok?" 

"Calm down, that's not what I'm here for." 

"I know what I want and I know what I am and what I am it's not up for you to label as one your lame excuses of subjects. Have a nice day." She tries to open the door but it doesn't budge, she tries two more times before groaning. "Oh, way to ruin my exit, it's locked." 

"We are not done yet. Let's talk about what you're planning to do when you meet your father." 

"Who says I'm planning anything?" 

"Come on Salem, you can do better than that." Edward giggles, writing down on the paper. "You can expect us to believe you don't have anything planned at all. No dramatic speech like the one you did just now, no demands, not one? No "I'm going to kill you, old man"? You're just handing him over to the FBI? Just like that?" 

Salem smirks pulling her hand away from the handle, her dramatic speech pretty much memorized by now in six different languages even, she had spent some of her time in jail perfecting it. 

"No...you wanna know what? You're right, matter of fact, I can even tell you, right now so can analyze it all you want, baby... wanna hear it?" 

"Please, I couldn't be more interested." Edward leans in, smiling. "Let's get a glimpse of your creativity." 

"Oh fuck…" Billy leans in on his seat, knowing her too well by now. "Not this shit again." 

"What is it?" Negan is still watching her through the glass, not glancing away for a split second. "Did you run out of hair gel or some shit like that?" 

"No...but if you don't rush, Edward might run out of breath pretty soon." Russo rolls his eyes, Negan finally diverting his eyes away from the glass. 

"What are you talking about? She's doing her dramatic flamboyant performance of always, what's so goddamn deadly about that?" 

When Negan turns around again there's no sight of Edward or Salem in the room. 

"What the hell?!" 

"Tic-tac, partner." 

Rushing through the room and kicking the door a few times to get it open, Negan finds Salem on top of Edward, her hands around his neck, squeezing the life out of it. 

"So, this is it. Thank you for turning me into a fucked up bitch, that's all I had to say, dad. Fuck you, have fun sucking Satan's hairy dick." She's squeezing as she ends her rehearsed monologue but Negan grabs her by the waist, pulling her away from his almost unconscious body. "GET OFF I'M NOT DONE!" 

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?" He roars as she tries to get away from his grasp. "SALEM, CALM THE FUCK DOWN!" 

"Told you so, you should've just rescheduled, doc." Billy helps him get up, leading him out of the room. "Let's get you to a real doctor." 

"PUT ME DOWN!" Salem elbows Negan in the ribs, escaping his caging arms. 

"WHY THE HELL YOU DID THAT FOR?" He bangs the door shut, preventing her to get away, pushing through the sharp pain on his ribs. "He was trying to help you and this is what you do? You try to kill him?" 

"Oh, shut the hell up. This is exactly what everyone was expecting of me anyways. And that asshole was teasing us, I mean, me the second he walked through the door, is that what you call help?" 

"HE WAS TRYING TO HELP YOU, YOU PSYCHO BITCH!" Negan grabs her face, squeezing in a painful manner. "You really were about to kill him just cause he was dumb enough to feed your delusion?" 

"What delusion?" She tries to push him away but he holds her by the nape of the neck, bringing her closer. 

"I know your old man fucked you up, and you get every reason to want him dead. I get it okay? But I can let you do it." Salem scoffs, looking away from his piercing stare but he quickly regains her focus, shaking her roughly, Salem was actually glad he didn't touch the other subject: their relationship. "Do you hear me? Put this in your little twisted head of yours. You're not killing him as I know you fucking want to. There's no going back of some gory shit like that." 

"It's not up to you to decide." Salem whispers. "To any of you actually. That fucker ruined my life and then tried to put an end it. Call it even." 

"You can throw all the tantrums you want, kitten. I know you, you little brat. You don't get your way this fucking time." 

"Yeah? You're going to do your job as you put it earlier? Hm?" She strokes his face tenderly, taking a deep breath, Edward words about how in his mind, Salem was obsessed with Negan and that their relationship wouldn't end well playing over and over on her head. "We'll see about that, partner." 

"I'm going to lock his rotten ass and let it soak in jail, doll. Far away from you. He's going to jail, is the right fucking thing to do and you know it. Not the grave."

"Not if I get to him first." Salem strokes his face, running her other hand through his hair, pulling it, bringing his head down. "I'm gonna kill him." She promises to herself, stealing a kiss before he could pull away. "I killed behind your back once, I can easily do it again. Make sure you don't forget that." 

And with that said, she pushes him to the side, squirming her way out of the room, her plan with Alfie already in it's the lines, fast and working. 

_ Game on.  _

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SALEM FOR CHRIST SAKE, GET FUCKING THERAPY! LOL


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second chapter of the day, yay
> 
> Don't forget to leave a review if you can, thanks for reading

"You look more beautiful than ever, Ludo." Damiano compliments her when they finally reach the mansion where the auction would take place, a place so far hidden that for a moment Salem thought that they were lost. "Give me 10 minutes and I'll give you an exclusive _private_ tour." 

"I can't wait." She smiles pretending to be into it, her mood couldn't be worse that day. "Wanker." 

"Language." Negan jokes on her side, giving her a light squeeze. "Keep your eyes open, your new boy should be here somewhere." 

"What makes you think it's a boy?" Salem rolls her eyes, grabbing a champagne glass. "Girls can kill too, you know?" 

"You know sometimes I think you just say whatever it pops into that sick little head of yours without thinking it twice." 

"Right back at ya." Taking little sips she sighs. "Can't wait for this shit just to be over."

"Anxious to get back to jail?" Negan scoffs, stuffing his mouth with some of the canapes being served around. "Missing your cellmates?" 

"...sure." _If only he knew_. "You should come by sometime, I'm sure we can work something out." 

"I'll pass, kitten." He hears his earpiece buzzing and walks outside, the sunny weather shining through the green grass, a bunch of people outside talking and laughing. "How many of those ass fuckers do you think are dirty?" 

"Hm, I think...all of them." Salem walks behind him, handing him a glass to which he refused, suspicious. "If you could live anywhere else in this whole world, where that would be?" _I'm thinking of Greece_.

"Shit, I don't know, why do you ask?" 

"No specific reason actually, just wondering." _Where could I go after this_? 

"Keep wondering then. Here comes your little smuggler." 

"Ready for the tour?" Damiano kisses her hand, pulling her inside.

Negan was doing his best to keep her in check after their latest conversation but he wasn't pushing it, it was already awkward enough without mentioning the questions Edward has made her and Edward actually quit after her evaluation, saying he would never put himself to risk like that again, much to Daryl's disdain so it wasn't like Negan was about to bring the subject up and apparently neither was she. 

"How's going, partner?" Russo creeps up behind him, startling Negan, making him push the dark man against the wall. 

"What the hell are you doing here?" 

"I'm your back up." He laughs, raising his hands. 

"Great, fucking great. Just...just stay out of my fucking way and we'll be dandy." 

"Will do, relax. Enjoy the party. Salem's clearly doing it." They both glance at her direction, Damiano with his hands on her waist laughing at something she said. 

"She's not that funny." Negan groans rolling his eyes. "Wanker." 

"Please don't tell me you're jealous of her." Laughing while sipping his drink Russo mocks him. "Come on, I know she's good in bed but does makes it up for the headache?" 

"What makes you think you know anything about me, shithead?" 

"No need for bitching ok? I'm good at reading people." 

"Really? So why don't you get that stupid looking hair of yours leave the hell alone?" 

"I'm just being a decent partner and letting you know, she's hard to handle, walk out while you can." 

"You think you know her but you fucking don't and you don't fucking know me either, ok?!" 

"I'm curious, what exactly you think is going to happen when she realizes she can't carry on with this delusion of Bonnie and Clyde of hers? She's going to discard you like a tick, you're nothing to her."

"Now now, who's the jealous one huh?" Negan slaps his shoulder with roughness. "You were just her fuck buddy when she couldn't get to me. We're not the same, **partner**." 

While the two argued across the room, Salem whispers something on Damiano's ear and he pulls her hand, straight upstairs, completely unnoticed by the arguing two across the huge hall. 

_Here I go._

"Where the hell is she?" Negan notices after a while that she wasn't in her usual place, scanning the room after her. "You're too fucking close, Tick!" 

"We can't lose them." Russo laughs behind him, both of them looking through the first floor. "Maybe she's upstairs." 

"I'll check it. "

In the meantime Salem was in a room with Damiano, his huge security holding a gun against her head.

"...you know, danger sometimes is _fun_ but don't you think this is a little too much?" She tries to play off, this auctioning going completely different than she imagined. _I knew I should've worn the low cut red dress not this fitted blue one._

"Cut the crap." Damiano scoffs annoyed, scrolling through a tablet. "I know who you are."

Holding the tablet up he plays the video of Negan and her on the pool, his loud distinct voice screaming her real name, loud and clear. _Maybe he's that dumb after all._

"Fuck." 

"Salem huh?" Squinting he tosses the tablet down. "After that, I did a little digging on you and guess what I found?" 

"Good things only, I hope." _What's the point of faking it anymore?_

"Impressive things actually. What I didn't find is why would someone like you, pretend to be someone like Ludovica Fontana." 

"Well, it's a long story." 

"And that guy with you, Jack if that's even his name, who is he?" 

"Longer story." Salem sighs awkwardly, scanning the room until the sound of the gun clicking drags her attention out. "I can explain, ok? Let's not paint these walls with my head just yet, please?" He signals to his guy and he pulls the gun away a few inches. "Ok... well, long story short, someone's planning to kill you and I'm here to stop it." 

The gun is once again back against her temple, the cold metal sending a shiver down her spine, Damiano grabs her face angrily and she sighs. 

"I'm telling you the truth! That other night at the club, you remember those gunshots? So, that was him after you!" 

"How can I be sure you're not lying to me?" Damiano asks still not buying it. "Prove it." _HOW_? Literally a second later she tried to find a way to prove it, a gunshot is fired against them, grazing her shoulder, straight to the security's neck, a scary-looking boy, around 15-18 emerges from the thick curtains, the gun trembling, Salem is quick to lean in and take the now discarded gun from the security's hand, ready to put him down if necessary. 

"Who are you?" 

"Manson." The boy clears his throat, still aiming the gun at Damiano, Salem whistles, earning his attention. 

"Who...shit, you're just a kid, what the fuck...you are the one replacing me?" 

"Yes." 

"Bullshit." She laughs, offended. "You're the big bad one who was supposed to take my crown? No fucking way."

"Don't kill me, kid. Whatever they're paying you, I can double it." Damiano gulps down, unarmed, his hands up. 

"I'm not doing this for money." He takes a deep breath, trying to keep the gun steady. "I have to do this! You don't understand." 

What Manson didn't tell her is that this was supposed to be his first kill, all the other deaths attributed to him were all setups, he has never killed before, Damiano was going to be his actual first. 

"Stay still, sir, I have to do this." 

"Put the gun down, Robin, you barely know how to use it." Salem chuckles, taking in his appearance. He was tall and skinny, his voice was hoarse and deep, dark hair and brown eyes, harsh bags under his eyes as if he didn't get to sleep for a while and she couldn't help to feel bad for him, she had been in his shoes once and look where it has gotten her, the pressure to get the job right was always high, she was sure if he were to come back to her father with a failed job on his hands, missing the shot to eliminate both her and the original target, things wouldn't shine bright to him, only distress expected him ahead. _Fuck, I can't believe I'm doing this._ "How old are you, kid?" 

"Not your fucking business, **lady**!" Manson points the gun to her direction and she takes the chance, already regretting it, turning to the side, aiming at Damiano confused face. 

"Thanks for the coat, I loved it." Pulling the trigger without a second thought against him she groans when his blood splashes against her blue dress, his lifeless body on the floor, getting soaked by the now-dead security guard blood. _Such a shame, I really wanted to see his boat_. Rushed steps by the door, some muffled talking and loud knockings get their attention, the situation ugly looking for both of them. 

"Fuck." 

"We're so fucking fucked." Manson brings his hands up, running his fingers on his jet black hair, nervous. 

"And the award for Understatement of the Year goes to...Bitch Ass Manson for "We're so fucking fucked", let's all give him a big round of applause! Salem slaps his head and signals to the window. "Go on, jump." 

"What?" He blinks scared, Negan's loud voice echoing all over the room, screaming for her name. "What are you going to do?" 

"Take a 10-inch dildo up my ass. Again." She scratches her head, handing him a small phone from her tiny purse. "Hurry, don't make regret this and most importantly, DO NOT tell anyone about this, you owe me big time, kid. I'll come for you soon, now go." It was both a threat and a promise. 

Manson licks his lips nervously while Salem opens the window and drags him closer to it. 

"Why are you doing this?" He asks confused but grateful with one leg in one leg out. 

"I'm doing exactly what someone should've done for me when I was around your age. See you soon." She pushes him and he falls with a loud thud on the bushes, glancing up, thanking her with his eyes before running at full speed, missing Salem's small smile from relief, in her head her good deed done by the day, week, month, year, century even. 

_His road may be rough, but mine's already doomed, I might as well just go with it._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hehe see? Salem actually has a hidden moral code
> 
> Next chapter she'll get to talk with Manson, getting all the information she needs to wrap things up. 
> 
> Thanks for reading 💖


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Helloo!
> 
> Two chapters today, hope you like them!
> 
> Thanks for reading.

"Do you understand?" The bulky old looking man asks her still inside the car, eyes fixed on her face. "Salem, do I need to run through the plan, again?" 

"No. I understand." She nods, the question she was dying to ask still pounding on her head. "I just...I...can I ask you something?" 

His icy blue eyes rolled impatient, annoyed but he knew better, it was purely rhetorical, she would ask even if he were to say no. 

"Why am I doing this again?" Salem asks as he knew she would. "Why do I have to kill them?" She asks, reading the file of the family of three she was about to execute, little to no information about them, which got her thinking of what was the point.  _ What did they do to deserve this? _ They were so different from her usual targets. "Why specifically them?" 

"Because I said so, I'm your father, and most importantly, I'm still your boss and you're to obey me. It's what kid's supposed to do." 

"The obeying or the killing part?" She snaps back in a condescending tone and he raises his hand, making her flinch. 

"This is the last time I'm explaining this to you. You should be thankful I gave you a home, a roof to live in. Where you were going to be if I hadn't taken you in?!" 

A 17-year-old Salem nods, cursing herself for opening her mouth in the first place. 

"Answer me!" 

"I don't know…" 

"If you're not happy with what we do, I can easily replace you but then we're done, you're on your own-"

"No, Dad, please! Don't...I don't want to be alone." 

"Then do as you're told." He opens the door, jumping off the car, leaning on the driver’s side. "This is the last time we're having this conversation, Salem. I don't want you questioning what we do ever again. Are we clear?" 

"Yes, dad. It won't happen again, I'm sorry." He patted her head as you pet a dog after they learn how to sit and roll. 

"Good. Here." He hands her a handgun, the picture on the passenger seat still. "You’re my daughter, and I love you, you have nothing to worry about.” She looks up at his face, forcing a smile on her lips, his words were sweet but his face was the opposite. “As long as you're irreplaceable.” Her smile fades and she can feel the walls building up again. “Now do your job." 

So that was what she did after. She made herself irreplaceable, one successful job after the other, it was the only time when her father would acknowledge her positively. Any other doubts, concerns, and feelings were muffled in order to survive, till now. 

"For fucks sake, Salem!" Negan shook her face, his big hands on her cheeks, trying to bring her back to reality. "Please, doll, don't do this, this is not the time to be in shock. We need answers, goddamn it." 

Blinking slowly she quickly finds herself at their safe location, Jesus hunched over cleaning the wound on her shoulder, debating whether it needed stitches or not. 

"It's just a scratch, step the fuck back." She barks at him, slapping his hand. “Breathing down my neck, creep.” 

"So?" Daryl insists, the tension thick on the room, all eyes on her. 

"So..." She asks, struggling to find the end of the tape, Negan getting impatient and taking it from her hand to find himself, finishing patching her up. “What happened?”

"What happened?!” Negan scoffs, tossing the tape on the ground, crouching at her eye level, his finger pointed at her face. “Well, how about you explain to us why we found you with a gun on your hand, almost jumping off the fucking window and two fucking corpses lying on the fucking bloody ground?" 

"Oh right, that happened." Salem curses herself mentally for not having a lie on the spot. "Actually...I’m not really sure, I completely blacked out, can’t remember anything. Didn’t you guys say that this last season's bracelet had a microphone and a camera or something?" Diverting from the subject she gleams thanking herself for bringing that signal cutting device Russo gave her everywhere since day one. "Yeah, what happened with that?" 

"For some strange reason it's been dead for a while but as Negan didn't report having any problems with you so…" She smiles and places her hand on her chest, emotional.

"Aw, we moved on to the next step then?!" She smiles and places her hand on her chest, emotional. “Can we join toothbrushes now?” 

"Cut the crap, Salem. Tell me what the fuck just happened. I know you're good, but not that good." Negan sits down crossing his legs, his shirt ruined by her blood, being the one who had to carry her to the car, considering she wasn't responding.

He would deny it if she asked but he was terrified when he kicked the door down and found her with the gun still on her hand, gazing out the window. He called her name several times before Russo rushed and tackled her down, giving him time to snatch the gun away from her. 

Slapping her face softly a few times he realized she was pretty much in a catatonic state, her gaze never focusing, barely blinking. Leading her as discreetly as he could, he held her the whole way, checking up on her from time to time, wondering what could be going through her head, her eyes never focusing, tearing up on their way back. 

"Salem!" He bangs his hand on the corner table, startling her. 

"It was you and your big ass mouth, okay? You ruined my fucking cover and I almost died because of it. Happy?" 

Utter and absolute silence falls into the place, her laugh suddenly taking its place. 

"Kind of poetic even, don't you guys think? All this talk of me being the one to screw up the job and it ends up being the rookie over here." 

"What do you mean by Negan screwing your cover?" 

"I mean that he might've slipped my real name on the pool and creepy but hot clingy and now dead, Damiano found out and looked upon me." She shrugs, thinking about all the things he gave her. "Can't really blame him, I told you guys I was kinda famous in this industry." 

"Now it's not really the time for bragging." Jesus chuckles, still checking for the security cameras. 

"Why not? I managed to escape from a horrible early death while the minions argued over who's dick is bigger."  _ It's Negan's, by the way, but he probably knows that by now.  _ "Speaking of dicks, where's Russo's?" 

"Ken had to make sure no one else was around. Your replacement was supposed to be there.” Negan cracks his fingers, something feeling off, Salem’s story simply didn’t add up. “Lucky you for not crossing him." 

"Or her." She adds, taking a deep breath. "But yeah, sure...lucky me."  _ Amateurs _ . "Now...if you will excuse me, I need a shower, a big plate of pasta, and a nap, in that exact order." 

"You just killed two people...and you're going to stuff your fucking face like is no biggie?" Negan scoffs raising his brows, earning nothing but an eye roll. "And where do you plan to go, doll? You killed the man who was keeping you at his hotel free of any charges, honey." 

Salem twitches her mouth, realizing she hadn't put any thoughts on the matter. 

"Well...there's still a job to be done right? And it's not like he can come back from the dead, Pet Sematery style and kick me out so...get the car, partner. I'll wait outside." 

After she exits the room, Daryl holds Negan back by his arm, considering he began following her without much thought. 

"We're waiting for Russo's report. Pay attention to your phone, we might need to bring her in." 

"Wait...hold on. You mean like, bring her back to jail?" He widens his eyes in disbelief. 

"This whole thing's been a disaster. We can't risk losing our leverage." 

"Which is what exactly, batman?" Crossing his arms, not pleased by the idea. 

"Her family." Daryl rubs his temples, a headache popping up by the current events. "We got something on her family." _ Holy fucking fuck.  _

"You know where they are?" Negan asks, surprised. “Who they are?”

"Yes." He sighs, diverting his gaze which makes an already impatient Negan, even more impatient than the usual. “We do.”

"Shit, you're waiting for drum rolls or something? Spill the goddamn beans already!" 

\-------------------------------

After wiping clean the whole surface of a payphone, Salem dials a number and waits, humming a song, impatient. 4 rings later, someone finally picks up the phone. 

"Hello?" A shaky voice speaks on the phone. 

"Hey, Robin! What's new?" 

"...what do you want?" Manson spits harshly. 

"Woah, that's no way to speak with someone who has just saved your ass from jail time. Trust me, orange is not your color." Salem snorts, lighting up her cigarette, taking a long drag. "We need to talk okay? Meet at the bar right on the corner of the Artemisia in 1 hour, smoking area, and don't be late, I've already tracked your location, don't bother running, kid." She bluffs knowing his naiveness would be useful. "See ya." 

Dialing another number she runs the latest happenings in her mind, her shoulder still stung from time to time but it was a good thing, something to keep her grounded and she’s been through worse. 

_ That's why I work better alone. Negan almost got me killed for some stupid amateur mistake. Can't let this happen again, even worse, I didn’t notice in time _ . 

"What?" A raspy voice answers the phone. 

"It's me, Alfie sent me." She takes another drag, looking around, scanning the area. "You got what he asked for?" 

"Yes. Just texted to you." 

"Good." _Hope Manson's dumbass doesn't deletes it._ "Tell Alfie we're even now." 

"Alfie's dead." The voice seems surprised. "He was found hanged not too long ago or so I heard." 

There's an uncomfortable silence at the other side of the line as Salem gets distracted by a black cat running down the street, chasing another black cat.  _ Me and Negan, how cute _ .

"Did you hear me? Alfie's dead." 

"Aw." She pouts. "Well, anyways...c'est la vie. I've to go. Thanks" 

Rushing back to the corner just in time to catch Negan leaving the building, a scowl plastered on his face. 

"Is everything ok?" She asks when he gets the cigarette from her hand and takes a deep long drag, rubbing his forehead, distressed _.  _ "You look like you need a facial." 

Negan licks his lips, staring deep in her eyes, blowing the smoke on her face, his expression unreadable, she could see that his left hand was shaking slightly and she wondered why. 

"And you look like you need a shower." 

"Rude." Salem chuckles playfully but Negan doesn't follow her humor, Jesus slowly making his way to them, walking funny. "What's up with you two?" 

"Look, I'm gonna drop you off at the hotel, you get your stuff, Jesus is going to help you pack your shit. I have to pick up your buddy then I'll come to get you two." 

"Then what?" 

"Just get into the fucking car, Salem, please.” _Please?_ He walks to the driver’s side, keeping his eyes away from hers. “I don’t have much time.

"Geez, what's gotten into you?" She asks, rolling her eyes. "Not 5 minutes ago you were nicer to me. What happened?" 

**\----------------------------- 5 MINUTES EARLIER -----------------------------**

"Shit, you're waiting for drum rolls or something? Spill the goddamn beans already!" 

"They're dead, okay?!" Daryl snaps, frustrated, tossing pictures on the table from a murder scene. "She killed them, almost 10 years ago." 

Looking at the pictures with shaking hands, Negan stares at the three bodies on the floor, for a few seconds, before putting the gruesome pictures down, his stomach twisting at the idea, not the image, he was used to that. 

"Are you telling me that-" 

"The family she's so fakely desperate after, is completely gone. For quite some time now, and they died by her hands." 

On the scene there were three bodies on the couch, holding hands, each one with a bullet hole on their forehead, it reminded him of the scene she had set up before, when she killed Amber and her boyfriend and sent him a picture of it as if it was no big deal. 

_ Amber was one thing, it was fucked up, sure. But she had her reasons, as fucked up and twisted they were. But her own family? No. It can't be _ . 

"What the hell do you mean by fakely? You can't possibly believe that she knew-" 

"She knew. It was completely personal. They abandoned her and she backfired as expected." 

"No...she wouldn't." 

"Negan, for God's sake, wake the hell up! The Salem you made up in your head isn't real! She's manipulating you just like she's been manipulating us all along!"

"I know her-" 

"You've known her for less than a year ok? And look how deep she got into your fucking head. I knew it was a bad idea putting you to work with her in the first place, I should’ve listened to him. She made you hard and you got soft, just as expected of a manwhore!" 

Negan rushes and grabs Daryl by the shirt, tossing him against the wall, all up in his face, Jesus struggles, trying to pull him back. 

“SHUT THE HELL UP!”

"Face it! She killed her own family for leaving her, what do you think she's going to do with you when you do the same?" 

"First of all, your dumb fuck, you don't know shit about me. Second of all-" 

"Russo told us you would react this way.” _ Russo? He’s up to something, that plastic dick _ . “You're no longer fit for this job. You're dismissed from this mission, pack your things." 

"The hell I am!" 

"I already talked with your boss, Rick, he agreed. Paul will take it from here. Take them to the hotel, he'll distract her long enough for Russo to arrive and bring her in." 

"So this is how it's going to be? After all this fucking work I had, you're discarding me like a cum rag?" 

"Pack his things, Paul. We already have one mentally deranged to deal with." 

"You know what...fuck you and fuck your Russo buddy too, I don’t believe you, there’s no way in hell she would do that, no way. But have fun accusing her of that, I’m sure she’ll react even better than I did. I fucking hope she rips your ass open like a turkey." 

_ I'm going to get to the bottom of this, even if I have to break that ken doll in half. _

\-----------------

"Why is Negan acting weirder than usual?" Salem asks when Jesus finishes packing Negan’s stuff, she was fresh off the shower, dreading leaving this place, she had so much fun there and she grew to like being around Negan more than she would like to admit to herself and so did he, which made everything complicated. "What did you do to him?" 

"I didn't do anything, why do you ask?" Jesus laughs awkwardly, brushing his palms anxiously, doing his best to change the subject but while he went to the hotel hall, Negan locked the car, preventing her from leaving it, so Salem was running over and over again their last conversation, Jesus didn’t do a good job of fooling her. 

“Car sex? Now?” She raised her brows in surprise seeing him lock the car. “Okay, don’t mind if I do.” She jumps to the front seat, straight to his lap, giggling and undoing his belt, but his firm hands stop her mid-action.

“Salem…" He holds her hand, closing his eyes, tired, taking a deep breath, his head leaning against the headrest. “Can’t believe I’m the one saying this shit but can you stop trying to get in my pants for once and just listen to what I have to say?” 

"Oh...yeah, sure." She jumps to the passenger seat, sitting up straight, clearing her throat.  _ That's a bummer _ . "What?" 

He scans her face, gulping down a lump on his throat, deep and intense hazel eyes glued to hers. 

“Okay, hm, I know I’m more than pleasant to look at but I gotta be honest...you’re kinda scaring me right now.” 

"Fuck.” He bangs his hand on the steering wheel, frustrated. “You scared the shit out of me today." She groans, leaning in. "What were you thinking?"

"Negan, I had to do it, they were going to kill me! I know shooting them was risky but-" 

"No! Listen, goddamn it, you got it all wrong!" He leans in, holding the nape of her neck, bringing her closer. "You got it wrong." Salem pulls his hand slowly, frowning confused. 

"You...you thought that I was dead?"  _ He feared for me?  _

"Yeah. For a few seconds I did and it sucked so fucking bad, worse than I could've imagined." 

"Baby, you have nothing to worry about me, I can take care of myself. I’ve been doing it for years..." 

“But you shouldn’t, goddamn it! What they did to you...fuck. I wonder what would’ve happened if you had grown up with your real family, to care and protect you.”

“Sometimes I wonder too…” She looks down, admitting out loud for the first time. 

“Do you regret it?” 

“I don’t...I don’t think I understand fully the concept of it but...most of the time, most days I feel like, like I’m stuck you know? Cause this whole shit took time, I see that now, I was stupid enough to allow that to happen but at the same time is like I just woke up and it suddenly was settled.” She gulps down, her throat raspy out of a sudden. “I am what I am but I don’t remember how I got this way. Fuck, I don’t even remember deciding it. It’s like it just happened, but at the same time, it didn’t. You look confused...should I start over?” 

“Not everything is your fault you know?” He mumbles, tapping his fingers, doing his best not to blurt out what Daryl had told him. “Just you feeling like crap, stuck, is a start.” 

"To what?" 

"Don't you want to be normal? Do normal shit?" Salem shrugs, unsure. "The thing is, good judgment comes from experience, and often experience comes from bad judgment."

"And where did you read that? At a truckers stop, a rave bathroom or an STD treatment center?" 

"Come on, don't be an asshole, I'm being serious, Salem." 

"Why are you telling me this?" She dries the tear that dared to form on her eye, noticing his sweet behavior.  _ And now? When I'm about to fuck things up again especially.  _ "Negan, what's wrong?" 

"Nothing, it's just that, look, I just want you to know that there's hope for you, you know? You don't have to do this, you don't have to go down this fucking road. It will do you no good." 

“What road?” He quickly changes the subject. "What are you talking about?"

"Here's the shit, I...care about you, Salem. I shouldn't, I fucking know that, it's stupidity, but I do. And I know you care about me too, in your own twisted way." 

"You do?”

“I know there’s no fucking use asking you not to let this get to your head, doll.” She scoffs, laughing. “But yeah...and I thought I was sure that I could execute whatever they asked me but now, I’m not so fucking sure.”

“...why? What did they ask you to do?” 

“Nothing.”  _ Yet _ . “Right now, I just need to clear things out in my head.”  _ Then I can decide. Her or the job? _ "You should get going."

“Well…” Jesus is waving by the entrance, tired of waiting, she gives him the finger, ignoring him. “Are you sure I can’t help you with that?” She suggests seductively, but Negan merely chuckles, stroking her hair, his fingers barely touching her skin, as if he feared she would break. 

“As tempting this sounds...you know how this works, doll.” He presses the unlock button, cracking his neck. “I have to go.”

“Okay...raincheck?”

“Sure.” Salem smiles, grabbing her bag and opening the door, his whistle freezes her in place. “Just one final question.”

“Yeah…” _ Oh fuck, he saw right through me, didn’t he _ ? “What is it?”

"Do you think killing that fucker is going to fix everything?" A relief sigh escapes her mouth, her shoulders relaxing immediately. “What then? You kill him, then what?” 

"If I hypothetically, of course, was planning to kill him...no, it won't fix anything, I know." She shrugs, closing the door, leaning in on the window. "But at least I'll sleep better, I guess. Knowing he can't do that to anyone else, then...I don’t know, retail therapy, a tour in Africa, or maybe I can start a cult." 

"Wow, holy, shit. You're really losing your touch, evil one."  _ Couldn't be more glad. _ Negan laughs starting the car, his mind clearer. "Since when do you care about what happens to others?"

“Not that long actually."  _ You know, a few hours when a 15-year-old tried to replace my spot. _ "But I’m trying to be someone my real family would want as a child.” His face immediately changes, his stomach dropping as if he just had been kicked on his guts. _ She didn’t know. _ “Gotta go. See you later?" 

"Yeah...sure.” Salem bites her lips, turning and rushing to the steps, missing his complete meltdown on the car, the steering wheel on the verge of giving up, and just breaking entirely. 

_ She can never know, I’ll have to make sure of it.  _

  
  



	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second chapter of the day, let's goooo!
> 
> I want to finish this story in 10 more chapters, let's see how this goes. I already know how it's ending actually, I just need to get there. So reviews and ideas are more than welcome lol

"Maybe we should wait downstairs." Jesus clears his throat, bringing her back to reality, leading her to the room door. 

"No, we're waiting for him here. And you're clearly hiding something." She sits down crossing her arms, refusing to move. "Spill it." 

"Do you know each and every one of your targets before putting them down?" 

"Now you're just changing the subject…" Squinting suspiciously Salem checks her watch. It was almost time to meet Manson.  _ How the hell I’m pulling this off? _ "But I guess being honest won't kill me. So, no...most of them were completely unknown to me until the time. It made it easier if that's what you want to know." 

"Easier?" 

"Yeah, when you know the target personally and... intimately, it's harder you know? That's why I like one night stands so much." _ Or at least I used, now I'm not so sure. _ "Long story short, the more you know the person, the harder it is to kill them, you keep coming up with reasons not to. At least for me, I can't speak for everyone."

"You're not lying to me are you?" 

"Now why would I lie about that?”

"I see…"  _ Oh fuck, maybe Negan was right _ . "I have to make a phone call." 

"Ok." As Salem grabbed her stuff, she glanced at the mirror one last time before leaving and she didn't recognize herself for a second. She seemed lighter, brighter, as if she could see physically the change from within, she was changing for the better she hoped, and surprisingly Negan and their previous chat had something to do with it. "Hey, do you want to get a drink?" 

"Huh?" Jesus tried to reach Negan but his phone was still damaged from the pool splash so he didn't pick up in time as he simply didn't hear it. "I don't think it is a good idea." 

"Come on, it's five minutes only. I'm buying." 

"I don't know." 

"Either you come with me or I'm going alone." 

"Fine!" Jesus texts Negan their location and follows her outside, already a few steps behind. 

"So, what's your poison?" Salem asks, taking off her cheetah print coat and placing it on the chair. 

"Oh, I'm not drinking." He glanced at the door every five seconds, begging for back up.

"Perfect, I'll be right back! Wait here!" She rushes to the counter and orders her both her drink and Jesus, sending it to their table, paying the server extra to inform him that she was in the bathroom, that would buy her time. Feeling eyes on her back, she turns around until finding Manson looking displaced, big eyes wide open, the same clothes from earlier, he seemed tall for his age, between 5'9 or even 6ft. His wavy brown hair made him look his age though, but the bags under his eyes gave the opposite idea. 

He makes its way to the smokers area, empty now, the fresh air breezing at the small gated fence, not knowing what to expect from this meeting. One side of him wanted to scream for help but he knew Salem's reputation. That's why his other side made him nervous, that part of him just wanted to finish the job, maybe if he did it nicely, Rawlings would let him go earlier considering all others that tried to take his daughter down failed miserably. Some got close but not close enough apparently. 

"Let's get straight to the point, kid. We don't have much time." 

"What the hell? Why did you ask me to come all the way here then?" He barks at her, lighting a cigarette, his hands still shaking. "What do you want?" 

"I could ask you the same thing!" She snatches the cigarette from him. "What do YOU want? How did you get involved in this clusterfuck?" 

"It's a long story…" 

"Then make it shorter." Taking a long drag and blowing the smoke in the air, she crosses her arms, waiting. 

"I was at the wrong place at the wrong time. Things got messed up, next thing I knew a weird ass looking old guy visited me and offered me a "job", as repayment for the damage I've caused him. He was so persuasive..." 

"And you were dumb enough to take it?" She scoffs earning an eye roll from him. 

"I'm here so you do the math, goddamn it." 

"That's so fucking stupid. What could he possibly have on you that made you say yes?" 

"What made you say yes?" Manson snaps back, not taking shit from her at this point. 

"Nothing, nobody ever asked me." Salem shrugs, crushing the cigarette, his brown eyes blink in confusion for a second. "You want out?" He nods his head, looking into the distance. "Perfect, because I have an offer you can't refuse." 

"Look, lady, last time I got an "offer" like that I got dragged into this shitty mess. Thanks for the help today but I'm not looking to be friends with anyone here and especially not with you." 

"Really?" She laughs at his bluntness, reminding herself. "Well, screw you then because, between all your options, I'm clearly the best of it." 

"And what are they?" 

"Number one, I turn you in, to the FBI agent that's waiting for me inside. Number two, I let you walk and you can go back to dear old dad and tell him that you had me on gunpoint and fucking missed. Have fun explaining that to that weird-ass old looking guy." 

"Wait-"

"Number three, you come with me. You pretend everything's A-OK for a few more days, set up a meeting with him and I'll fix this mess myself. You can go back to your old life if you want later, I'll get you out." 

She could see the resistance on his face, the inner turmoil but he knew she was right, if he came back with a failed mission, he would be fucked. And he never wanted this life in the first place, he was there for one reason and one reason only. 

"It's there a fourth option?" 

"Yeah, sure. I put you out of your misery right here and now." Salem gives him a toothless smile, waiting and he takes a step back but his eyes show no fear, just pure defiance. "So, what is going to be?" 

"How do I even know I can trust you?"

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves okay? I'm not trusting you either but this is the only way out, trust me on that." That seemed to convince him but not completely.

"What guarantee do I have that this plan of yours is going to work?" 

"Give me the phone back." She snatches from his hand, opening the text she was waiting for earlier. "Here's our guarantee." 

"What's that?" 

"Documents, plane tickets, and cash if everything goes to utter shit. We'll split it evenly...well, 60/40 actually but still a good deal. So, can I count on you?" 

"...what do you want me to do?"

"Smart choice, kid." She hands him the phone back, checking her watch. _ I should get going _ .  _ I have a raincheck scheduled _ . "So... here's what you're going to do."

  
  


\------------------------------

“Where were you?” Jesus rushes her to sit down the second she comes back to the table, Manson went without getting seen by him two minutes ago. 

“Bathroom, thought I was getting my period but no.” She smiles innocently, the subject clearly off his interests. “False alarm.” 

“Okay…” He cuts her off, checking his phone nervously, waiting for something. 

“You know, there’s a lot of interesting people around here. Why don’t you take a peek?”

“Salem, I’m working. This is purely business, no pleasure.” 

“Ugh, says you and every other man.” Taking a sip of her drink, she groans, it was watery by now. “I’m going to get another, you want anything?”

“What? No, SIT DOWN!” Jesus pulls her back to her seat, standing, Salem sneakily grabs the phone of his jacket. “Just, stay here, okay? I’ll get it.”

“Thanks, you’re the best!” The second he’s out of sight her smile drops and she focuses on the phone.  _ Password? Okay, Jesus is not as obvious as Negan so I guess...oh, it’s 1234...haven’t they learn ANYTHING by now?  _

While she searched for what she needed, a text message popped up. It was from Negan, she nearly dropped the phone in surprise. _ Holy fuck, is like he has a sixth sense or something.  _

**_N: I knew it._ **

_ Knew what?  _ Scrolling through the latest texts, trying to get some clue, Salem hears someone clearing their throat, the bartender places a drink on the table, stopping her mid-action. 

“Your friend sent you this.” He smiles awkwardly as she takes a sip without putting much thought into it. 

“Thanks.” She stares back at him. “Anything else?”

“You know, you really shouldn’t go into your boyfriend’s phone.” Salem giggles, just waving her hand, her attention back to the phone, ignoring him while chugging the drink. “It’s rude.”

“You know what, Mister?-” She snaps back at him but the sight of a familiar face through the crowd makes her put the phone away immediately.  _ What the hell he’s doing here?  _ “You’re absolutely right! Thanks for the unrequested intel.” 

“No problem, it’s just that-” He begins to explain a story she had absolutely no interest in, feeling warm and dizzy out of the sudden. 

“Yeah, yeah, I don’t really care for this bro before hoes shit.” She hands him the empty glass, dropping on to the ground before he could catch it, intense sharp eyes following the noise.  _ Shit, shit, shit!  _

“Is everything ok around here?” His  undeniable voice sounds even better up close. Negan. Clearly taller and intimidating than the bartender who seemed to shrink in unnerving presence. 

“Yes, yes it is. Sit, have a drink with me.” Salem pulls his arm before the worker could say anything else. “Please?”

Negan darts his eyes from the man to Salem two times before opening a shiny and blinding smile to the anxious man.

“I’ll have whiskey, neat.” He sits down, never moving his eyes. “And hurry.” 

“So, uh, how did you-”

“Know you were here? Jesus told me.” He smiles without showing any teeth and she suddenly felt nauseous. “I thought I told you to wait for me, at the hotel.”

“I know, but I thought I deserve a treat after the fiasco from today.” Salem takes a deep breath, feeling drops of sweat form on her forehead. “Is hot in here or it’s just me?”

“Easy, kitten. At least let me have a drink first.” Negan winks playfully, in a good mood. “One more thing, your buddy, Russo.”

“What about him?” She fans herself with her hands, pulling her long hair up in a bun. 

“You can’t trust him.” Salem scoffs, rolling her eyes, feeling heavy.

“Tell something I don’t know.” Negan’s playful  demeanor drops out of a sudden, his eyes hiding something. “What?”

“You look like shit.” They both laugh for a second.  _ Holy shit that was close.  _ “But seriously, you feeling ok, doll?”

“Yeah...yeah, I think I just, drank too fast. I’m going to wash my face and I’ll be right back.” Before she can walk away, his strong grip around her wrist stops her in place.

“Don’t try any funny shit.”

“I won’t. My brand is being hot, not funny.” She winks and pulls her arm, bumping into a guy, rushing through the group, stumbling on her way in. 

Not a second later when he decided to follow her to make sure she was ok, the bartender comes back with Negan’s whiskey, Jesus by his side, two cups in hand.

“You were supposed to keep an eye on her, not getting doubles, J.” 

“But those are for Salem.” He gives him a confused stare, eyeing the bartender. “Who gave her a drink?”

“That guy over there, he told me to say her friend sent it.” The direction to which he points is nothing but an empty table. “Shit.”

Negan stands up, furious, if looks could kill, that stupid man would be dead by now. 

“Watch the exits. Get backup, NOW!” He barks at Jesus before rushing to the bathroom, two guys by the door, talking and blocking the way. 

“Step aside!” The two doesn’t move an inch, laughing and talking in Italian, ignoring Negan. “GET OUT OF MY WAY!”

“This is the ladies room.” One of them says with a heavy accent, mocking him. “Wait for your turn, pussy.”

He simply nods, taking a deep breath before pulling out his gun, pointing at the man’s face. 

“Guess it’s my fucking turn. Move. NOW.” 

\-----------------------------

“That’s all you got to say?” The man in a white tailored suit who kicked her, while she was still down, asks, his voice hoarse and loud. “Why did you do it?”

“Do what, you sicko?” Salem struggles to get up, her drink spiked with some sort of sedative.  _ That’s on me, I was stupid.  _

“You killed him!” He grabs her hair, crouching, leveling their faces. "I know you did." 

“...do you have any idea of how little that narrows it down for me?” She tries to push him but her arms feel as heavy as cement. “Not sure if you know, Tony Montana, but I’ve killed a lot of people.” His face turns to a bitter expression, his jaw clenched tight. 

“Damiano.” He says between gritted teeth.

“Oh...oh, right.”  _ Shit, I should’ve known that one of his partner or ass kissers would come after me _ .  _ Okay, Salem, we’ve been through that before, just think, buy you some time _ . “Uh...yeah, I... I got nothing, I did what I had to do, nothing personal. Not apologizing for it either, you prick.” _ Oh fuck.  _

“That’s disappointing.” He releases her hair, her head banging against the floor with a loud thud. “You’ve ruined our family, I don’t think our nana can’t recover from this.”

“Fuck your nana.” She laughs, not feeling pain anymore because of the sedative, laying flat on the ground, disgusted. _What's up with people trying to kill me in dirty bathrooms?_ “I don’t give a shit about your family.” 

“How dead inside do you have to be not to care about taking a mother’s son as cold as you did-”

“OH, WOW, fuck your momma!” Salem laughs even louder, hearing a commotion by the door. _My knight in leathery armor, how exciting_. "Also, he was no angel, you knew that didn't you?"

“Shut the hell up, you fucking bitch!” The man who now she learned to be Damiano’s brother, Ellio, raises his gun, annoyed by the noise at the door. “I know what my brother was, so, do me a favor and tell him I said hi.” 

It’s all over in less than 10 seconds, Salem's life saved once again by him.

Negan kicks the door in, shooting Ellio twice on the chest before he had the time to aim at him, his perfect suit ruined by the forming bloodstains.

“And most importantly, fuck you!” Her loud laugh turns into a dry painful cough. Warm hands around her lifting her up, her throat sandlike. "Fuck, shouldn't have done that."

“Are you hurt?” His urgent but annoyed tone catches her by surprise, her eyes almost closing, sitting her down on the counter, he grabs her face, a few scratches and cuts on her face but nothing serious, he was more concerned by the drug they gave her, he had absolute no idea of what it was.  _ This whole passing out thing is starting to get annoying, molly wouldn't do me like that _ . “Salem!”

“Two bodies, baby.” She chuckles, patting his face, realizing something. “Who else is counting?”

“What? What are you talking about?”

“That’s the second person you’ve put down...to save me.” Negan gulps down, his stomach twisting at the realization. “How that saying goes again? One’s a mistake, two’s a pattern and three’s a habit?” His jaw clenches at her comment, Salem takes one last strike at his conscience before blacking out. “The things we do for love, right?”

_ Fuck.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Sali :( Next chapters we'll have more Manson 
> 
> Thanks for reading so far. Spoiler alert, smut scnene next chapter, it can't all be angst right? hehe ;)
> 
> See ya!


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW 👀
> 
> Things take a sharp turn.

"If you keep doing that, I'm going to fall asleep," Salem mumbles, her head comfortably laying on Negan's lap, his long skilled fingers running across her hair. 

"That's the idea, doll." He laughs, continuing his work. "I'm just waiting for you to pass out to change the channel." 

"You say that but I know you just can't wait for another episode." She laughs slapping his leg. "How much longer do we still have?" 

"Not much." He groans, the file laying on the couch, both of them studying it. "This is the last one, right?" Looking on the file again, his smile growing at the sight of his old boss, Rick Grimes. Their new target soon to be taken down. "Who knew I would like this job so fucking much?" 

Salem chuckles, standing and staring at him, running her fingers on his bare chest, after laying a soft kiss on his lips and placing a Colt Phyton on his hand as she grabs the file. 

"Don't worry, I got you. Practice makes it perfect." 

"Even killing?" Negan asks with a smirk.

" **Especially** **killing**."

"OUCH!!" Salem screams, falling off on her ass of the bed edge she was sitting on, watching Negan squirm and move on his sleep. 

"What the fuck…Salem! What the hell were you doing?" He rubs his face, being jolted awake, kicking her off the bed in the process. 

"Watching you sleep, what it looked like I was doing?!" She crawls back in bed, wrapped around a shitty towel, her hair still damp, still in pain. 

"Don't you have anything better to do?" Negan groans, standing up and moving to the bathroom of the cheap motel room he and Jesus rented for a night, bringing a doctor in to check her in the dead of night, as insisted by Negan. Jesus advised strongly against it but Negan insisted, worried about her injures and even more with the sedative they spiked her drink with. He feared to be poison or something like that. "Somebody else to fucking torture?" 

"Probably, but I chose you." She laughs, regretting immediately, her chest hurting by the action. "Speaking of, were you dreaming about me?" Negan stops breathing for a second. _Is she a fucking witch or something? I swear I heard that before._ "It would explain the drooling." _No, not a witch. Just a plain asshole._

"HA HA, very funny. Get your shit, you seem to be perfectly fine now. We need to go." He walks out of the bathroom, gathering their items, looking for his phone, a text from Jesus to stay put and wait for him. _Great._

"Yeah, I'm getting really sick of this whole wanted dead or dead woman shit." She pouts, clutching at her bruised ribs. “Just because I tried to kill everyone doesn't mean they have to try to kill me back.” 

“You know that’s not how life works.” He chuckles sitting by the edge of the bed, staring at her back. “How can you even expect that? That’s not fair.”

“They’re not paying me to be fair.” She snaps back, taking a deep breath and laying flat on the bed, the towel threatening to unfold. 

“Salem...baby, they’re not paying you.”

“See? Now **that’s** not fair.” Salem giggles, looking up to face him. “From 0 to 10, how bad my eye looks?”

“A hard 7.” He admits, the bruising around it getting worse and worse. “Purple looks good on you though.” 

“Yeah...well, flattery will get you anywhere.” As she tests stretching her arms to the side, Negan grabs her wrist and holds in place, the wound on her shoulder still there, remind her of taking it easy.

“How are you feeling?”

“I’ve been better. But I’ve also been worse so…” She winces standing up, coming closer to him, laying her head on his lap, just like his dream from minutes ago. 

“What are you doing?” He asks, remembering his dream, placing his hand on her head, instinctively running his fingers through her hair. "Salem..."

“I just want to feel something, other than pain.” Salem admits, closing her eyes at his soft movements, her hand drawing random patterns down his leg. “Even if is just for a while.” 

“Are you sure?” Negan breaths in, feeling the warm sensation growing by the minute, she nods her head, her eyes still closed. “Come here.” He pulls her in slowly, cradling her face with both of his hands, his eyes roaming freely across her face and her loose towel. “Just for a while?”

“That’s discussable.” She holds his hands, immediately understanding his intentions. He scoffs and leans in, planting a faint kiss on her lips, small and soft kisses all over her face, being careful with the bruising on her side, when he laces his arms around her waist and pulls her closer, Salem winces frowning. 

“Gentle?” He chuckles, pulling the already unfolded towel away, laying her slowly in bed.

“Gentle.” Salem rolls her eyes, bringing him closer for a kiss, Negan full of caution, not letting his full weight on top of her. “Just this one time.” She whispers when he breaks the kiss, slowly making his way down her chest, stomach, and legs, delicate kisses, licks, and bites being placed all over her still cold skin from the shitty shower.

Bringing her legs to the side, he nips and bites softly the flesh on her inner thigh, making her shiver and bite her lip, holding back a moan. 

“Uh, uh, kitten. Let it out.” He smirks as he watches her squirm, not being able to move as he knew she wanted, not even being able to arch her back without a sharp pain. “You never shut the fuck up, now also is not the fucking time.” 

“Are you going to do something or-” Negan lowers his head, pulling her closer as he begins to work his talented tongue around her. “Oh, fuck.” He chuckles not stoping his movements, adding a finger inside her, at a slowly antagonizing pace, while his tongue did the absolute opposite. “Fuck, that’s it. Don’t stop.” 

“What was that?” His signature wolf-like smile is displaced smugly, as his, now two fingers deep in, continues his sweet torture. “Don’t what?”

“Don’t you fucking dare to stop.” Salem says between breaths, her hands squeezing the sheets, trembling. 

“I didn’t hear you quite fucking right.” Negan crooks his fingers, speeding up his pace, still holding her in place by her leg. “What was that?” 

“Please!” 

“That’s what I thought.” Lowering his head again and devouring her with ferocity, his tongue now matching his fingers as he works his much proud skill he perfected over the years. He could say proudly not one single woman failed to cum under his tongue. Salem wouldn’t be the first, he would be made sure of that. “You wanna cum?” He asks, locking eyes with her, taking back his breath for a few seconds, Salem nods with certainty, throwing her head back when his thumb begins to rub circles around her clit. “You wanna cum?”

“Yes!” She yelps feeling her orgasm coming closer by the second. “Fuck, yes!” Negan hums in approval of her desperate state, remembering himself to be gentle, something he wasn’t used to, his skilled mouth sucked and licked, not stopping for a moment anymore, an animalistic throaty moan vibrating through his cords as he made Salem cum on his mouth, his arm over her hip, pinning her in place, not allowing her to move away. 

“One more, one fucking more, baby. Come on.” He slaps her thigh, not as harsh as he once did, humming raspy, harshly. His own sounds being muffled by Salem’s moans, as he works her through a second orgasm. _So much for being gentle._ “There you go!” 

“Wait...wait, stop.” She asks out of breath, pushing his head away from between her legs, her ribs hurting way too much for her to continue. “I can’t-”

“Shit.” Negan curses himself, licking his lips clean. “You okay?”

“Yeah...yeah...just.” Salem groans, tears pricking on the corner of her eyes. “It’s too much.” He smiles, a smile that made her want to slap the smug out of it. “Don’t start.”

“I didn’t say anything.” He laughs, his tongue running over his teeth. “Gentle?”

“Shut up.” She rolls her eyes, sitting down to kiss him, tasting herself on his lips. _I’ll miss him. So fucking much. If only he would come with me…_

There’s a knock on the door, Negan jumps out of bed, tossing her the towel and grabbing his gun. 

“Stay behind me.” He orders. “What?” 

“Are you decent?” Both of them groan, in relief and annoyance all in one. 

“Yeah…”

Jesus knocks once and enters the room, checking the window and closing the curtain, even more, rolling his eyes at the messy sight in front of him. _I should’ve know better than leaving these two alone in a room. With a bed._

“Pillowfight?” He teases, staring at Negan. 

“Drama.” Salem sings, laying flat on the bed, exhausted but satisfied at the same time, rewinding the happenings of last night. _That was a close call, could feel the heat from hell up my ass, speaking of heat._ “Hey, J, thank God you’re here. Did you get my stuff?”

“Stuff? What stuff?” Negan closes the distance, grabbing the bag and inspecting it. It was just a change of clothes and toiletries, his breathing just now going back to normal. 

“Can we stop somewhere to get coffee? I feel energized but you know.” He rolls his eyes, handing her the bag. “Also, you probably should eat something." Negan scoffs, licking his lips slowly. 

“Just did.” 

\-------------------------------------------

"So...you wanna talk about last night or…" Salem asks after pouring an unhealthy amount of sugar on her black coffee, her bruised face hidden by big sunglasses she stole on the way out of the motel, Jesus waited outside the place, the car still running, their sexual tension being too much to handle at the moment. 

"Or." Negan simply says observing the place. It was a small coffee shop with only two other people scattered around, all minding their business. _I could get used to Italy._ "Do you wanna talk about it?" 

"Hm, no, not really. It was kinda my fault." She admits, stirring her cup. 

"Hey!" He snaps his fingers catching her attention. "They fucking drugged you, okay? This is not your fault. Don't say that." Salem sighs, her head pounding like she was having the worst hangover of her life, lifting her glasses, staring at Negan, gathering the courage to say something. "Who the hell knows what else they could've done to you." She feels a shiver going down her spine at the realization. _Killing is something, what Negan is saying is completely different._ "I don't even wanna think about it-"

"Thank you." She blurts out, the word coming off with difficulty of her lips, she wasn't used to say it and actually mean it. "I don't want to think about it either, so... thanks for saving me, Negan. Again." 

"Yeah...I never got a thank you for that one time, did I? Also, for this morning too, by the way." 

"And now you ruined it." They both laughed forgetting their current situation, Daryl probably freaking out about the mess they were having to clean up at the bar and Negan going off the grid with Salem, Jesus covering for them but not for long, there was still work to be done, which Jesus made sure to remind them by honking. “Can I ask you something?” 

"I know better than to think you won’t just because I said no. So, yeah, hit it.”

“What is it like?”

“What is like what?” 

“To be a, hm, the good guy?”

“What makes you think I’m the good guy, peach?”

“You know, being on the right side of the law, playing by the rules, normal boring stuff.” 

“It’s okay I guess.” Negan chuckles and stops by the door, surprised by her questions, the information he was holding in boiling, and bothering him at the same time. “I mean, shit Salem, I don’t know, I’ve done some fucked up shit, I’m not gonna lie, but I don’t think I ever been on the other side to know, you know?”

“Yeah...yeah, me neither.” She looks down the cup, taking a deep breath. “Do you think is there still time left for me? You know, to be better. Or maybe not as bad.”

“I-” Jesus press the honk for much longer, again, interrupting his train of thought. “We’re coming, goddamit, just hold on!” 

“He’s right. What am I thinking...we should go, I don’t want to give Batman more reasons to screw me over.” Salem laughs unaware of his last orders, entering the backseat. “Any news from Russo?”

“He’s waiting at the base, asked about you all night or so I heard.” Jesus mumbles as he starts the car, glancing at Negan who shifted uncomfortably by his side. “What’s the deal between you two anyways?”

“Uhm, Negan and I...well, we’re are a sort of enemies with benefits.” She says casually, sipping her coffee, Negan snort and forehead rub going unnoticed by her. 

“Hm, good to know...” Jesus clears his throat, holding back his laugh, the state of the room this morning, and Negan’s annoyed face not helping to cover it up. “...but I meant you and Russo.” 

“Oh.” Salem smiles awkwardly. “Oh, it’s complicated.”

“Then unfuckingcomplicate.” Negan says bitterly.

“He was sort of my...supervisor and daddy’s little helper. You know I can be a handful sometimes…” Salem slaps Negan’s shoulder playfully, but his humor was gone, his jealous side now taking over. “He’s just, an old friend...friend?”

“So do you trust him?”

“Oh, fuck no. Absolutely not.” 

“Why?”

“Let’s just say he’s the scorpion on the Scorpion and the Frog fable you know? Only a fool would trust him blindly.” She scoffs, leaning in between the seats, turning her face closer to Negan. “He’s useful, don’t get me wrong, but being completely honest is just not part of his nature. He betrayed his best friend a few years ago, or so I heard, his whole family got killed because of it.”

“Really?” Jesus asks, surprised. _We didn’t know that. How did we not know that?_

“Yeah, I didn’t have nothing to do with that though, even felt bad for the guy, Frank was his name, I think, something like that...but hm, anyway, I just think if he was capable of that, I don’t doubt he would do the same to me, if he hasn't already.”

“Why’s that motherfucker still breathing then?” Negan gulps down a lump on his throat, holding that crucial information in getting harder and harder. 

“If I killed everybody that has or thought about betraying me, there would be nobody left.” She shrugs, wincing at the sharp pain that shot through her side. “And truth be told, I’m no innocent little angel either.” _God knows how many families I tore apart through the years._

“You’re nothing like him.” He says staring deeply into her eyes, the sight of the dark bruise around her cheek making his gut twist for a second. “I know that.” She smiles at him, glad to have at least someone to not think so little of her. “We’re here.” 

“It looks...empty.” Salem says confused, her suspicion raising in. “Wait a damn minute. You two aren’t sending me to a trap, are you? Because I’ll be really fucking hurt if you do, especially by you, puddin.” She glares at Negan, a mixture of fear and anger in her face. “So, are you?” 

“What? No! No...right, Negan?” Jesus stutters, too quickly and too loudly. “But it does looks empty…”

  
  


“Maybe you should check it out first.” Negan taps his fingers on the window. _Fuck, fuck, fuck._

“Yeah, yeah wait here.” Jesus opens the door and enters the building.

“Fuck.” He mutters, throwing his head back and closing his eyes, banging his head on the headrest.

“What?”

“...I’m so gonna regret this shit.”

“Regret what?” Negan turns to face her, his leg bouncing, Salem’s big eyes studying him, confused, not knowing what to expect, his hand runs through his jet black hair, and her eyes went wider than before. “Please don’t tell me you’re getting a mullet.”

“What? No. Shut up, I’m thinking. Fucking hell...”

“Oh, thank fuck! Feel my heart, still racing.” She pulls his hand to her pounding chest. “Feel that? That’s fear.” He stops, feeling her strong heartbeat, making up his mind, he never felt so divided as he felt on that very moment. ”What is it then? Negan! You’re freaking me out!”

“Do you trust me?”

“What?” 

“Salem, do you fucking trust me?” He repeats himself, dead serious, glancing at the building’s entrance every other second. 

“Yeah, I mean, on the verge of possible, obvi, you know, you being a fucking cop and all. But, yeah, I do. Why?”

“Then jump in the driver’s seat and fucking drive.” Salem giggles, thinking to be nothing but a joke. “Hurry, before I change my mind!”

“Wait, are you serious...?”

“ **NOW**!” He growls, banging his hand on the headboard. By his tone and expression, Salem had no doubts, jumping as quickly as she could, her ribs protesting in pain but she managed. “We need to go!”

“Go where? What’s wrong?” She asks keeping her eyes on the road, speeding off. “NEGAN!”

“Just drive!” His breathing is heavy as he looks into the rearview mirror, Jesus lefted forgotten behind. “Okay, stop there.” He commands, making her take a sharp turn to the left. “We need to change cars.”

“Are you for real? You’re really running away with me?” Salem jumps off the car, out of breath and full of adrenaline.

“What it looks like I’m fucking doing?” _FUCK FUCK FUCK, WHAT THE HELL DID I JUST DO?_ If you asked him, he wouldn’t be able to explain why he did it. But something clicked when he felt her heartbeat against his palm, as if they were saying: go.go.go. _I’m losing my mind, it’s official._

“Right now, panicking.” She laughs, following his steps. “But why?”

“I...FUCK! I DON’T KNOW!” His hands flew to his hair, trying to put some sense back in. “Daryl was planning on bringing you in, back to jail.” He blurts out more to himself than to Salem, as if he was trying to explain to him, instead of her, why he just did what he did. 

“Wait, what? And you knew-”

“YEAH! But I couldn’t! Even more after-”

“After what?” Salem asks when he stops himself. “After what Negan?”

“I just couldn’t ok? You’re gonna have to settle your ass down with this for now. Be fucking grateful.” She stops abruptly, biting her lips, deep in thought. “What are you doing? We have to go, goddamn it!”

“I know, I just need to do one thing first.” Running back to the car, she fakes up a scene, making it look like Negan struggled to get off the car, breaking the window on purpose in the process, the driver’s door wide open. 

“What the hell are you doing?”

“If they catch us, you’re telling them I kidnapped you.” Salem orders, her eyes watery. _He went out of his way for this, for me. I can’t let him get all the smoke_. “Got it?”

“Pft, please. They’ll never going to believe that, kitten.” He rolls his eyes, smugly. “Just look at me and look at you. There’s no way in hell-” Salem grabs his shirt and pushes him against the car door, punching his face hard. Hard enough to make some blood of his mouth to splash on the interior of the broken window. “...what the...SALEM! What the hell happened with **gentle** ?” He spits on the ground. _How hard can she hit? Fuck._

“You’ll thank me, eventually. Be fucking grateful.” She wipes the blood off his lips, pulling him by his arm, dragging him into the dark alley, laughing as they run away together. “In the meantime, welcome to the Other Side.”

“Oh, wow, fucking thanks, I love it so far.” 

_One way in, no way out._

_...fuck._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think we ALL wished to be under Negan's tongue but hey, that's just me lol 😬
> 
> Soooo, next chapter we'll have Negan meeting Manson, it's going to fun. 
> 
> Hope you guys liked this, leave a comment if you can.
> 
> (PS., I just started a new fic, another AU Negan story...shocker, IKR🙄. Check it out if you will: What kind of man loves like this? https://archiveofourown.org/works/26736307/chapters/65227129)
> 
> Thank you so much for reading, see you soon


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, long time no see!
> 
> Sorry for taking longer to update this but I got promoted on my job (YAY! :D) and Uncle Ben was right, with great power comes great responsibility lol and I just hadn't the time or the energy to write, but I'm getting that bag ;) 
> 
> Thanks for reading and for the nice comments so far, they're so helpful, THANK YOU! So in this chapter, there's a great reveal, the consequences of it soon to come. hehe
> 
> see ya

"Relax, Negan. You're going to cut a hole in this already fucked up floor." Salem chuckles, filing her nails as Negan walked all around the small room they were hiding in. “Speaking of cutting, I’m thinking of getting a long bob.” He frowns, stopping in the middle of the room, confused, until she signals the length she was going for. “Abou that short, maybe lighten up a little, what do you think?”

“Salem, how can you be so fucking calm?” She rolls her eyes. “We’re fugitives, goddammit! I don’t think staying put in a crack house is a safe option.” 

“Do you have any cash on you?” She asks, raising her brows, his silence giving her the answer. “Yeah, I didn’t think so. And we’re not gonna act like fucking amateurs and use your phone or credit card. Or anything that can trace us matter of fact.” His eyes go wide, the despair hitting his face. 

“FUCK, YOUR BRACELET!” He points out, distressed. “WE’RE FUCKED!”

“HEY, AS I SAID...we’re not going to act like fucking amateurs...that’s why I fried this shit.” Salem winks, explaining to him how she did it without anyone noticing. He did the best to hide his disappointment, he really thought she was changing for the better, but learning that she had gone behind his back and accepted Russo’s totem made him feel weird. Almost betrayed even. “Don’t give me that “disappointed dad look”, I didn’t know that I could trust you back then.” She realizes his expression, being honest. “Can you blame me? This is the first time that I get to rely on someone else but me...I’m gonna make mistakes but, I feel like trying.”

“I don’t trust him.” He spits bitterly. “And you going behind my fucking back and cutting a deal with that motherfucker, clearly doesn’t rub me in the right way.”

“I know. Truth be told, I don’t trust him either.” She shrugs, pulling the blinds, peaking outside. “But beggars can’t be choosers.” 

“Then why you agreed on working with him?”

“Fuck, it’s not like I had much of a choice, did I? I clearly have issues.” Salem chuckles, checking the time on a watch Negan was sure she had stolen. “Why is so hard for to people be on time, goddammit?!” 

“Oh, I’m sorry, are we expecting someone?” Negan asks sarcastically, his playful demur changing quickly when he realized that she wasn’t joking. “Come on, Salem. Give me a fucking break.” 

“What? You want honesty, don’t you? So…”

“So?” He approaches her, towering over, stressed. 

“Well...I kinda was already planning my getaway before you joined the team.” She fakely smiles, Negan’s eyes squint suspiciously, his head tilting to the side. “But I didn’t know you were joining, JOINING, so that’s not really my fault.” He grabs her jaw, getting closer, locking her in place.

“How long have you been planning this behind my back?”

“Not long.”

“And you have a partner?”

“Yep.” She squirms under his grasp. _I knew this would be an uncomfortable conversation but boy how I downplayed this situation._ “But I think you’re gonna be happy to know that I partner up with him for a good cause.”

“And what fucking Mother Teresa cause is that?”

“He’s just a kid.” The second those words leave her lips, Negan’s grip softens, he did loved kids, to the point that if his anger hadn’t topped over, he would’ve become a teacher or a coach instead of a police detective. 

“What?”

“That day, in that auction. Damiano was onto me but...the kid was there too. My replacement.”

“WHAT?”

“He’s just a kid. Dumbass got caught up in the wrong crew but I can’t let the same thing happened to me, happen to him. **He’s just a kid**.”

“So...you’re telling me, this whole time, we were worried he might come after your ass, you had already partnered up with the guy?”

“...yeah. Sound’s douchy when you say it like that.”

“Yeah, yeah, that’s one fucking way to put it.” He wanted to be mad, he wanted to be furious, pissed off, he wanted to hate her for making him waste so much of his time worrying about her but he just couldn’t, because she was right. It’ was for a good cause, hell, preventing a kid from getting the life she had by taking the fault for the kills and keeping him off-grid was a damn good cause. He wasn’t mad, suspicious, or disappointed anymore. He was proud of her. “I knew you were a softie deep down.”

“Take that back!” She laughs, wincing at the sharp pain on her sides, the expression on her face not going unnoticed by Negan. 

“How bad is it?”

“I can take it.” She leans in, sitting on his lap. “Not sure if you know but a crazy bitch stabbed me once.” He laughs, throwing his head back, knowing she was referring to herself but using humor at the same time to hide her vulnerability. 

“She does seem like a crazy one, doesn’t she?” Salem bites her lips, nodding. “Well, you know what they say about the crazy ones.”

“Why don’t you show me?” They kiss passionately, if it was the rush of running away and becoming real fugitives that made everything more exciting Negan didn’t know but he was also not worrying about founding out in a rush either. His hands gripped her hips, grinding her on his lap, as she did her best unzipping his pants, failing to hear the door being opened. 

“Whoa-EW WHAT THE FUCK?!” Manson, who knew that Salem would come to that hiding place as soon she scaped, as she had instructed him she would, covers his eyes, turning around and hitting his face on the door he tried to shut. Negan pushes Salem to the side, fixing his pants, looking for his gun. 

“You do know you have the worst timing ever, don’t you, kid?” Salem groans, running her fingers through her hair, checking her clothes. Negan looks at her then at the still covering his eyes teenage boy in the room. “Negan, meet Manson, Manson, this is Negan.” Manson’s size him up and down, not taking a liking to him. Negan just stands there, surprised at how young the boy really was, Salem was right. “It’s ok, he’s one of us now.”

“What do you mean by that? The agreement was that we, the two of us only, were splitting the money evenly and that you’ll get me out of this mess!” Manson points his shivering finger at a now disturbed and slightly annoyed Negan, the boy had just met him and hated him already but seemed to be completely at ease with Salem. 

And how couldn’t he be? She had killed for him, let him take the credit as she took the blame, and even offered him a way out of this world he had been dragged to. Manson wouldn’t admit if anyone asks him but he saw her a sort of older sister, a guardian...not a guardian angel though, he was very much aware of what she was capable of, he knew that it was better to be on her team than against her. 

“Why don’t we all just turn ourselves in like sheep to the freaking slaughter already since things had gone to utter crap now?!”

“Hey, Mister, let’s not forget who’s the expert here! Have a little faith. Just because things hadn’t gone the way I had originally planned doesn’t necessarily mean they had gone wrong. Okay?” She crosses her arms, putting up a confident facade. “I have everything under control.” But Manson indeed had a point, the money and plan was for only two people, and adding a third one to the equation would definitely cause complications on the way but she wasn’t aware of how severe they would turn out to be. Not yet at least. “Trust me, I’ll get us out.”

“Fine, but if that fucking cop is what get us caught, or worse, **killed**...I’ll never forgive you. In this timeline or the next one.” His finger turns to Salem, who had hey eyebrows to her hairline by now, in awe of the kid’s nerve. “I mean it!”

“Okay, relax. He tells me everything, he wouldn’t lie to me, I trust him.” Negan gulps down, taking a few steps back, being careful with the trash on the ground. Salem might’ve been completely honest with him and laid down all her cards but he didn’t, he knew what had happened to her family but he simply couldn’t bring himself to tell her and break her beyond repair as he knew knowing she had killed her family would break her. “ He won’t screw me.” She snorts. “Especially not now since you fucking ruined the mood.”

“Ugh, I’m gonna wash my eyes. Try to forget the horrors I’ve seen.” Manson groans, handing her the phone and key he had picked up earlier, walking past Negan as if he wasn’t even there in the first place, ignoring his presence completely. “Let me know when it’s time to go.” He goes to a room where it didn’t even have a door, sitting on the floor, grabbing a tiny pocketbook, and reading it. Negan looks at Salem, confused out of his mind, wondering if she had any sort of explanation to what just happened or why Manson seemed to hate him that deeply and that quickly. Salem looks up from the phone, still dialing a number, shrugging.

“Kids, am I right?!” 

\------------------------------------------

“Do you think he’s dead? Do you think she killed him?” Jesus asks Russo who inspected the abandoned car thoroughly. “He’s dead isn’t he?!”

“No, he’s probably not dead.” His jaw tightens, knowing this was a setup but he liked to have the leverage, of knowing things others didn’t. “But I think he took a beating, Salem is quite impatient.”

“Negan wouldn’t go without a fight.” Daryl says on the phone, waiting for an answer on the other line. “How the hell she get suspicious to the point of kidnapping a police detective?!”

“Negan might’ve told her. She got mad and reacted the only way she knows how: violently.”

“And now what?”

“They have no money, no contacts here. There’s no way they can go far.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure of that,” Russo whispers to himself, Alfie’s sudden death wasn’t an accident. He had hung the prisoner after getting the information he wanted. He knew it was just a matter of time before Salem got suspicious of him too, turning to others for a way out. But he couldn’t allow it, if she got too close, she would learn the truth, that in fact, her father only had set a target on her head because he had put it there in the first place. 

Rawlings would never get suspicious of his daughter to the point of ordering her death if Russo hadn’t planned the suspicion there himself.

He wanted Rawlings’s place as the boss of The Organization but he knew that would never happen along as the big man had Salem by his side, she was indeed a big deal in the industry. No one else could control her as Rawlings did, she knew too much of everyone to simply kill her himself.

So he planted seeds of mistrust, here and there, causing him to believe Salem was the source that the FBI had. Putting them against each other was the only way to achieve his goal in Russo’s mind, no one in that place would accept a “usurper”, they weren’t supposed to go after their own, it was a rule they took very seriously and Salem had broken it many times by now for the other working people there to want to kill her as much she wanted to kill her father, unaware that the cause of this whole crusade was the one that had “helped” her from the beginning.

Knowing her vindictive ways, he was sure she would come after retaliation, he actually counted on it to get Rawlings out of his way nice and clean, he had played the part perfectly, everything would soon be over if Negan hadn’t been added to the equation, he was the thing Russo didn’t plan on.

What he wasn’t counting on was Salem getting the help of anyone else but his, he was going to lead Salem to the prey, let her do the work, and assume the position he so desperately wanted. If he was going to kill her later or let the rest of the crew do it, he hadn’t decided yet. 

But now he had no choice but to do the same with Salem and Negan...he was going to put them against each other just like he had done it before. And this time was much easier because feelings do make everything messier, and knowing Salem, she wouldn’t react nicely to being lied to, especially about something as serious as the fate of her family. 

However, if she was going to be furious to the point of killing her lover, Russo wasn’t sure, but it didn’t actually matter. He would be more than glad to finish him himself, Negan simply had to go, by his or Salem’s hands, he was fine with either way. 

Russo was going after the fugitives, with or without the FBI’s help, what he didn’t count on was the third party, Manson. He was so busy covering up for his tracks that the thought of the newest addition of The Organization to join Salem’s team hadn’t crossed his mind. And that would come to bite him in the ass later. 

He also just didn’t expect to be as severe as it would turn out to be. Just like Salem trusting Negan, he didn’t expect the turmoil to come. Both of them not yet at least. 

Ignorance can be either a blessing or a curse. More a curse in their case...oh well. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ONCE A RAT ALWAYS A RAT! 
> 
> So...Salem was the scapegoat once again...that sucks, but he'll get what's coming for him. 
> 
> Thanking you all once again so freaking much for reading and commenting, I'll try to update more often but no promises.
> 
> Check out my new fic, another Negan AU, hope you guys like this: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26736307/chapters/65227129
> 
> See you soon I hope :)


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! A longer sort of domestic bliss chapter to make up for the lack of updates. Hehe hope you guys like it

"I'm tired! How much longer till we get there?" Manson complains, a few steps behind Salem and Negan. "Can we steal a car or something?" 

"For the last time: no!" Salem rolls her eyes, starving by now, desperate for a warm bath and a soft bed, Negan was being unusually quiet but she figured it was best not to nag him about it. At least not for now, they needed to work together if they wanted to make it. "Besides, exercise is good for you." 

"But I'm hungry!" He grabs her arm, pulling her back, immediately being pushed by Negan, who didn't like not one bit how rough he was with Salem. 

"HEY! That's no way to treat a lady, kid." He steps in the middle of the two. "I get it this is stressful as fuck but she's hurt and the last thing we need is that one with an attitude so…" 

Salem blinks surprised, she couldn't tell the last time someone had defended her like Negan did, that made her go soft for a second, giving in to Manson's request. 

"Negan's right." She tugs his shirt, making him look down at her, confused by her tone. "But so are you. And I'm also hungry and tired. Lucky for you, I happen to have a car available for us." 

"You do?" Both Manson and Negan ask at the same time, gazing at each other. 

"Yeah, this one." Salem opens a car door, an expression of pure surprise, relief, and excitement paints her face. "OH MY GOD! I'm amazing! Can you imagine if the door was actually locked? Ugh." 

"How did you know the door was unlocked?" Manson asks excitedly, jumping in the backseat as she leaned in, hot-wiring the car, as Negan kept an eye for cameras or witnesses, scowling at the act of stealing a car but he already had allowed a fugitive to escape, he might as well start learning from her. 

"Hm, truth be told, I didn't." She admits. "But good looks and optimism will get you anywhere." 

"What does good looks have to do with hot wiring a car, doll?" Negan laughs, sliding to the passenger seat. 

"Nothing really, It's just useful if a cop pulls us over or something." Salem smiles, adjusting the seat, bumping her shoulder on Negan’s. 

"And what makes you think this will work?" Manson scoffs, rolling his eyes. 

"Well, it worked perfectly fine once, actually...a lot more than once. Ain't that right, Negan?" She winks, starting the car, knowing he wouldn't dare to say no, she knew he knew she was right. He had fallen for her, whether he liked to admit it or not, denying was long past and utterly of no use by now. 

But let's be honest, was it ever? 

\---------------------

"What's up with the long face, kid?" Salem asks when they begin to pack the little of clothes they've managed to gather in stores nearby, Manson sighing from time to time, not going unnoticed by an anxious Salem, she couldn't wait for Negan to get back, so they could finally decide where to go, for the moment. She didn't mention it, but deep down she was debating whether to bring the whole deathly revenge up. Everything was going so fine that she feared that this subject would ruin it, so for the moment, she would get Manson out of this mess on her own terms, she just hoped Negan would understand. "I know these are shitty stuff but we can't afford to waste money on beautiful vintage clothes." 

"Why does it seem you're saying this more to yourself than to calm me down?" 

"Because I am, duh." She nudges on his shoulder, finally getting a laugh out of him instead of his usual complaints and eye rolls. "Just kidding. But what's bothering you?" 

"Nothing!" He says too quickly and too unconvincing. “I’m fine, okay? Just...let me be.”

"Okay, just so you know I'm really good at annoying people until I get what I want. Just ask Negan." Salem says poking his ribs between every word. “What’s wrong?”

"Do you ever feel like your life has turned into something you never intended?" He blurts out, giving in. She tilts her head to the side, thinking for a second. "Do you?" 

"Yes...I do. All the time actually." 

"But I thought…-" He sits down on the top of his suitcase, interested in history. "They told me you were, I don't know, different."

"Who?" 

"The weird-looking bald head fucker that dragged me into this." _Oh_ , _hi dad._ "He told me that your time had passed and...that you were indeed a great loss for the company but that they needed someone fresh."

"That's some nasty brainwashing to you, my friend." She snorts, lowering her eyes, sitting on the floor, still folding clothes. "My time might have passed but, now, I realize it shouldn't have started in the first place." 

"What do you mean?" 

"He told you that he adopted me?" She asks and he nods. "So...I can't remember how old I was when he adopted me or who my parents were, or anything in between but...I do remember getting the feeling that what he wanted me to do was wrong, but by then it was too late to stop it so..." 

"So what do you remember?" 

"I remember wondering if there were others like me, I remember wondering if my family was alive and why they gave me away to someone like him.." Salem cracks her knuckles, gazing up to the ceiling, uncomfortable with the memories flooding back in. "I remember wondering when was my birthday-" 

"Wait. You don't know when your birthday is?" 

"No, not really." She shakes a no with her head, chuckling. "But I've been told by an ex that I'm the definition of a Leo so maybe I was born between July 22 to August 22 but I don't know." And by ex, she meant the one night stand she had in Argentina once. “Not sure if she got it right though.”

"So you don't know how old you are either." He looks down, frowning. 

"No, but I'm at least 26, I think, I'm not so sure. I'm really bad at math so don't quote me on that." 

"Why didn't you just...I don't know, stopped? Asked for help? Run?" 

"I tried it once." 

"Run?" Salem nods, her lips in a thin line.

"Asking for help." She remembers the compassion on the soon to be victim’s face when he kindly asked if she needed help, offering to walk her to a shelter or a police station. She almost cracked right there and told him the whole truth. 

But she couldn't bring herself to say it, her mouth twitched and her breath hitched on her throat but no words came out. 

She didn't know exactly what it was back then but now she realized she didn't deem herself worthy of salvation. In Salem's mind, her path was long doomed, she didn't deserve it, she knew that and maybe that's why she was so focused on getting Manson out of that world, before him too, was no longer worthy. 

"I'm sorry." It was the last words that man heard before getting a knife plunged to his neck. "I'm really sorry, but you can't help me. No one can." _Or should._

"And what happened?" Manson waves his hand in front of her face, pulling her out of her memories. 

"I... I just opened my mouth, and I almost said something. Almost. The rest of my shitty so-called life might have turned out differently if I had. But I didn't." Salem shrugged, continuing to fold her clothes, checking her watch, Negan should be back by now. _Where is he?_

"Why?" 

"Because if you cross to my side of the line, you don't get to come back from that. Not ever. It doesn't matter how hard you try." She ruffles his hair. "So relax kid, there's still hope for you, it doesn't matter whatever shit is going through that teenager full of angst greasy head of yours. Just compare yourself to me, use me as an example...well, an opposite one of what not to do and you'll be just fine, okay?" 

"And what about you?" 

"What about me?" 

"What happens when you get there, you know? To the rooftop showdown, I mean." Salem laughs at his movie-like perception of the final in their quest. "You kick him off the edge, okay...then what?" 

"I'm running for a senator or some shit like that, obviously." They both laugh, Manson still going at it. "Hey, what's so funny? I would excel in that too!" 

"Oh, come on, you? A senator? Like in politics? Really?" He stands, still packing. "I can't see it." 

"Kid, what the hell are you talking about? I was pretty much born for politics. I have great hair, and I love lying." Manson continues laughing but his smile soon disappears as quickly as it came. “Now what?”

“And what about me?” He asks, barely audible.

“Shit, I don’t know...what do you want to do?” Salem snorts, not having a clue on what teenagers usually did with their normal lives. “Maybe go back to your family or something?”

“My mom’s in the hospital and my dad...well, I never met the guy. Mom never talked about him so screw that guy.”

“Oh, dang...what happened to mommy dearest?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.” His tone leaves no space for questioning. 

“Okay...well. Whatever is that you do with your share of the money, you have to promise me one thing and this is a total deal maker.”

“What is it?” Salem’s face is completely serious. 

“Get some shooting lessons.” She jokes, and he groans, standing from the ground. “What? It might come handy eventually and you suck so bad at it right now.” 

“UGH, SALEM, SHUT UP!” He says annoyed, grabbing his things and shutting the room door, refusing to crack a laugh by her joke in front of her, basically admitting she was right. 

“You know I'm right!” Salem laughs, finishing her packing, wondering where the hell Negan was. 

“What’s up with all this goddamn shouting?!” Negan asks opening the door, carrying some bags of clothes, hygiene items, and food, Salem squeals excited, immediately jumping at the bags, starving by now. 

“Finally! I was on the verge of eating my own arm by now.” She says with her mouth full, chewing. “What took you so long?”

“I’m sorry, do you know how fucking hard it is to avoid cameras and police when you’re pretty much wanted as a motherfucker all around town?” She tilts her head, smiling. “Right...of course you fucking do.” 

“Don’t be jealous, you’ll get the hang of it soon enough.” Negan takes a deep breath, trying to get used to the idea but it was proving it to be harder than expected. “I packed for you, you should rest for a while, we’ll leave anytime soon.”

“What are we waiting for again?” 

“For Manson to get a call for submitting a report.” She says it, expecting for him to understand it completely without having to bring the whole revenge situation. “As soon as we get a location from dad, we’re leaving to put an end to this mess.”

“I can’t say I don’t get your point of wanting to go Old Testament on the fucker but, still, I have to say it.” 

“Of course you do.” She mutters under her breath, fishing for the personal hygiene items on the bag.

“Are you sure this is the better way to handle it?” Negan notices she’s trying to avoid the subject but he was as stubborn as Salem, so he pressed on the matter. “Why can’t we hand him to the FBI as originally planned?”

“To get him released after cutting a deal and ratting the others out and having him go after me and make me eat grass from the roots?” Salem frowns, realizing that was exactly what she had done. “...no thank you. The chase is fun but I would like to enjoy a mimosa without looking after my shoulder every five fucking seconds.”

“What? Don’t tell me the big bad Salem is not up for a challenge.” Negan cracks open his signature smile, making her give in to his will. “I’ll look out for you.”

“I love that enthusiasm Negs but...truth be told? I’m tired. I’ve been running and doing this my whole life and, I know it might come out as a shock to you considering how good I make things look but...I’m tired and I don’t want any more blood on my hands. And that will happen for sure, if he makes it out of this alive.”

“You never walked out from a fight.” Negan reminds her. “And you also never seemed to mind the blood either, doll.”

“I’m talking about yours, Negan.” Salem sighs. “It’s all fun and games when I was the one after you but...I don’t wanna do this anymore, and I don’t want yours or Manson’s blood on my hands either so…”

“I can take care of myself.” He proudly says it. “You don’t have to worry about me.”

“But the thing is I do so...ugh, don’t make a big deal out of it okay? Just, shut up and take it.” She waves it off, exploring sensations she didn’t know she could feel to anyone but herself. _This is new and kinda weird, terrifying even. I just hope I don’t regret allowing myself to feel this._ “Watch the kid while I shower okay? Don’t let him do anything stupid.”

“Don’t worry, doll. I’m used to by now.” He winks, referring to Salem herself. “Don’t use all the hot water.”

“No promises.” She says closing the door, giggling. 

“Hey, kid. I’ve got us food, come on out.” Negan knocks on the door, grabbing the sandwiches, hearing the room door cracking open. “What do you like best? Tuna or ham?” Manson scrunches his nose, not impressed by the options. “We had chicken but Salem ate it.” 

“Of course she did.” He rolls his eyes, settling for ham. “What?” He asks after catching Negan staring.

“Fuck, did I shoved a filthy rag down your mother’s throat or something?” Negan got enough of Manson’s cold attitude towards him without any reason. “What the hell did I ever do to you?”

“I don’t trust you, pig.” Mason snaps back at him, not backing down. “And just because Salem has fallen for your shit, doesn’t mean I will.”

“So this whole angsty shit is because I’m a fucking cop?” He scoffs, talking with his mouth full. “That’s bullshit.”

“I know your kind okay. Stepdad was one of you and all I can say, it was more than enough to get to know your crew. Always covering up for each other crap even if that means turning a blind eye to a woman getting bruises constantly.” In that moment Manson realizes he shared too much too soon, Negan’s surprise smeared across his face, the expression of surprise soon giving it space to disgust. He hated that kind, much to the point that one of his “forced leaves” was caused by one of them, that figured it was a good idea to get smart with Negan, soon figuring how bad the idea was, losing a few teeth in the process.

“I don’t trust you.”

“That’s okay, kid. Can’t blame you after the hell I’m sure you went through but I can assure you, I’m nothing like them and you don’t have to believe me if you don’t want to but Salem does...and I know that you might play it cool but I can tell you do look up to her.” 

Manson gulps down, not admitting but he knew it was true. “So...someone like me, having someone like her on my side...come on, it got to count for something.” He laughs, chugging on a water bottle, swallowing the sandwich, Manson looks down, contemplating his words. “Oh, and one more thing.”

“What?”

“If we ever get the chance, leave your stepdad to me okay?” 

“...okay.” He smiles softly, feeling oddly domestic. As if he was having a second chance to recreate his childhood. Even though the adult pair was as dysfunctional as it could get, he felt more comfortable and safe with an actual assassin and whatever part Negan was playing on their quest as a companion than at his actual house, where he did had a present but absent mother at the same time and an abusive on and off stepdad, that every time he and his mom get together, it would come back worse than it was before. But he couldn’t bring himself to hate or blame his mother, she did take the hit that it was meant for Johnny, and never spoke a word about it. It was actually the reason she was in the hospital and Manson got involved in the mess he did. 

After the accident, Johnny pulled some strings and sent him off to a reformatory facility. It was absolute hell and Manson hated it but it was better than staying alone with the man. And he would have endured longer if he wasn’t so easily manipulated. One night when he would usually sneak out with his “friends” from the facility, they got into trouble after trying to steal a car, not knowing the person in the car wasn’t someone to be messed with. 

Things got out of hand and the driver, a man as young as themselves, got really hurt by the leader of the crew, laying shanked, bleeding on the ground. They all ran, seeing a man step out the backseat with a loaded gun but Manson froze, his eyes fixed on the man on the ground, the build-up trauma acting as a trigger, freezing him in place. 

“What’s your name, boy?” A strange baldhead looking man asked him, his face cold as the night, ignoring the plea for help from the driver. 

“Manson, sir.” He stuttered, shivering, staring at the shiny barrel of the gun. “Please don’t hurt me. I’m sorry.” The man chuckled, inspecting the wound on the driver. 

“And how old are you?”

“Seventeen, sir. Please, I’m sorry, just let me go you won’t ever hear about me again.”

“Shit, Denny. Shanked by a seventeen-year-old? On my watch?” The man tsked his tongue, disappointed. “Disappointing.”

“Rawlings, sir, I’m sorry, there was so many I-”

“Numbers was never an issue for Salem.” He spits. “And to think I was almost offering you her place.”

“Let me make it up to you, please.” Before the man on the ground can plead any longer, a deaf shooting sound, silenced by a professional silencer gets a shivering Manson by surprise. 

“WHAT THE FUCK?” He screams, turning away to run but a bullet hitting a wall next to his head freezes him in place. 

“You saw my face and you heard my name...nothing personal but I can’t let you walk.” Rawlings raises the gun but the stance of the kid, just closing his eyes and accepting his fate reminds him of his adoptive daughter. “Unless…”

“Unless what?”

“What do you feel about coming to work for me?”

“What?”

“Don’t act so surprised, his death is on you and your little friends. You pretty much own me now.” Manson just stares at him bitterly. “Or I can just call the police and tell him you killed him.”

“They’ll never believe that.” Manson bluffs, trying his best not to show any signs of fear. 

“Oh really? I can very much collect your fingerprints from the car door and considering how quickly your crew ditched you, I’m sure they would stay by my side if that meant that they’ll get to walk.” Rawlings laughs. “So...do you really want to bring the shame of a murderous son to your mommy, huh?”

The boy looked at the lifeless body on the floor and his survival instincts kicked in. Either way he in or was he out, literally, Rawlings wouldn't hesitate killing or framing him and Manson was smart enough to play along if he wished to survive. 

“What is gonna be, boy? Being locked in a stinky cell for the rest of your shitty life/dying or earning good money doing what you were pretty much already doing but around the world?”

“I’m in.” He muttered, walking and sliding to the driver’s seat, accepting his fate. 

But who would guess? That months later, he would find himself taking cover with the one he was pretty much groomed to kill eventually? And feeling safer around her than he did his whole life?

“Guys, check out what I found!” Salem burst open the bathroom door, she got so distracted that she didn’t even get into the shower in the first place. “It was hidden on the top shelf.” She sits on the counter, fidgeting on a small dusty radio.

“And what were you doing sneaking around there?” Negan asks, scoffing, trying to get the device from her hands.”Please, don’t turn this shit on.”

“What? You can’t hand me a sledgehammer and expect me not to swing it.” Salem jumps off the counter, raising the radio, running from Negan. “I’M NOT THAT BAD OF A SINGER!”

“YES, YOU FUCKING ARE! Give me that shit.” Negan laughs, easily covering the ground of the small living room and taking it from her. Without warning, Manson steals it from his hand and hands it back to an already pouting Salem. 

“If singing is what will get you two to cut this disgusting sexual tension for just a minute...let her have it.” He rolls his eyes, laying on the couch and opening his book, secretly content. Which lasted only until Salem found a working station and started to sing along. 

“Well, I don't know why I came here tonight, I got the feeling that something ain't right, I'm so scared in case I fall off my chair and I'm wondering how I'll get down the stairs.” She danced around Negan, grabbing the water bottle from his hand, using it as a microphone, to which Negan tried to hide his smile, recognizing it as one of his favorite songs. 

“Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right. Here I am, stuck in the middle with you, yes, I'm stuck in the middle with you. And I'm wondering what it is I should do. It's so hard to keep this smile from my face.” Salem sang along from the top of her lungs, dancing and being all-around annoying on purpose, forcing Manson to dance along with her, to which he did, for a few seconds but then twirled around, having enough of the ear torture and rushed to shut himself on the room.

“You scared the boy off, doll.” Negan laughed, sitting on the couch, crossing his legs, and putting his hands behind his head. “I told you, you’re just, really shitty at it.”

“Do you know that my first crush was Mr. Blonde in Reservoir Dogs?” Salem admits, sitting on his lap, still moving along the song. 

“Why am I not surprised huh?” He rolls his eyes, putting his hands on her waist to stop her from squirming around his lap. “Don’t start, Salem.” 

“Come on.” She leans in kissing his lips. “Don’t make me dance in the shower alone.” Salem straddles him, kissing his neck and whispering in his ear. “Mr. Blonde wouldn’t...” 

“Fuck...all right.” He gives in, feeling his blood rushing down, flooding other areas, and carries her on his lap, leading them to the bathroom, kicking the door shut, muffling her laugh with his now hungry lips. 

**_♪..._ ** **_It's so hard to keep this smile from my face, losing control, yeah, I'm all over the place_ ** **_…_ **

**_Here I am, stuck in the middle with you, yes, I'm stuck in the middle with you._ **

**_Stuck in the middle with you. Here I am, stuck in the middle with you_ ** **_..._ ** **_♪_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FYI, Mr. Blonde was indeed my first "celebrity" crush ever...might explain my obsession with Negan hahaha 
> 
> Anyways, what a happy loving family huh? God knows how long this will last 👀
> 
> Next chapter won't take long I hope. Leave a comment if you can 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! See you soon 💖✨💖


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This domestic bliss chapter is dedicated to JenJanet97! 
> 
> Hope you like it!

“Come on!” Salem laughs stretching her arms above her head while both Negan and Manson leaned on a trashcan nearby, all of the contents of their stomach being expelled for the third time in 20 minutes. “The flight wasn’t THAT bad.”

“HE LITERALLY TURNED THE PLANE UPSIDE DOWN!”

“I know right?! How fun was that, what a ride! Lucian is the best at his job!” She jokes, rubbing circles on Negan’s back. “Aw, poor baby, is harder for you, isn’t it? You know...being the older in the group.” 

Negan gives her a death glare which certainly would’ve been more threatening, if he didn’t have a greenish tone all over his sweaty face. 

“I’m gonna finish emptying my fucking guts-” Another jat of liquid interrupts his sentence, Salem biting her lips to hold her laugh in. “...and then I’m gonna fucking kill you.” 

“Yeah, good luck with that.” She chuckles, checking her phone and watch. “Okay, we have two safe days here so we should probably get to it.” 

“Where the hell are we, anyway?” Manson sits down, fanning himself. “It’s hot as a witch’s asshole in here.”

“We, my weak ass sick friend, are in Monterrey!” Salem opens up her arms, smiling like a child, but Manson merely blinks. “Wow, thank you, for not learning proper geography.” She rolls her eyes. “We are in Monterrey, Nuevo León...Mexico!” 

“MEXICO?” Both Negan and Manson's repeat after her, surprised. “Aren’t we supposed to be back home by now?”

“Yeah, but I was craving micheladas and they never get it right outside of here so I figured why not?” She shrugs and before Negan can protest it, she raises her hands. “I’m joking, I did not fly us here for a simple drink.” _Ish_. “We’re here to get our official, not official new documents.”

“Really?” Manson’s eyes sparkle with hope and she nods, reassuring him. “But couldn’t we get somewhere else?”

“Hey! Don’t you dare to complain! Originally we had to fly to Brazil to meet Machado, I had to convince him to come here.”

“And how exactly did you pulled that off?”

“Well….” She ponders in telling them their whole story, of how she managed to save Machado’s ass from a **very** violent, angry cheated-on husband by pretending that she and the guy’s wife were planning a threesome as a surprise but maybe that was just not the time or place for such twisted story. “Hm, he kind owes me one, so…” Salem shrugs, grabbing her bag. “Ready?”

“Can at least one of you speak Spanish?” Manson grabs his and Negan’s bag while he fanned himself, not used to the heat. 

“Oh, yeah but Machado’s actually Brazilian.” 

“...so?”

“Ugh, I’ll never forgive public schools for this.” Salem rolls her eyes, handing her bag to Negan, who struggled to keep his bile down his throat. “Come on, grandpa, let’s get you cooled down.” 

“You keep calling me that and I’ll spank you with that fucking cane, how about that?” He grabs her bag and takes Manson’s too, pulling in a deep breath. 

“Oh, is that a promise? Cause I’m very much into that.” 

“Ugh, ew.” The youngest of the pair groans, shivering and walking in front of the two. “Just throw me in a ditch somewhere and leave me to cook in the sun and die.”

“Yeah, I wouldn’t joke about that here if was you, saw it happen once, not cute.” She blinks at him, lacing her arms around him and a sweaty Negan. “Isn’t this fun? Like road trip buddies!” _I never want this to end._ “We should do this again soon. I know Luke would be more than glad to fly us somewhere else-”

“HELL NO!” Both Negan and Manson screams in protest, escaping her arms, the fear of flying with Salem colleague deeply rooted now. 

“but-” She signals for the still parked plane. _One more ride won’t kill anyone._

“NO!” Negan tilts his head, a clear “LET’S GO”. 

“Fine! But I’m complaining the whole way there then.” She stomps her foot, pouting and leading the way to their hiding station.

If only Negan had allowed her to go back, she would’ve made in time to see the fifth unannounced passenger on the plane, snapping Luke’s neck and grabbing his phone and belongings, planning to follow the trio onto the city and get them separately as originally planned.

She was right, one more ride wouldn’t have killed anyone maybe cause the exact opposite of it but it was too late by now. 

Russo had landed too and so did all her old problems, he just hoped to get the job done before his boss got suspicious of him as he did (thanks to him) with his own daughter

Tick tock, time’s running out and so was his patience. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Machado’s landing tomorrow so we got the whole day to recover!” Salem jumps on the couch, after a much-needed shower, Manson running to the bathroom to do the same. “We should order something.” She checks the windows, the place had been a treat of Machado and she couldn’t complain. 

“And risking getting ourselves killed by some rookie mistake?” Negan chuckles, checking the cabinets for something to eat, feeling better and renovated after a cold shower, his shirt long discarded on the chair, the Mexican heat being a new experience to him. “Aren’t you fucking hot or something?”

“ **Always** , I mean...have you ever looked at me, grandpa?” She laughs, turning the fans on, laughing at her own joke. Negan turns around to make a snarky remark but the sight of her in a flowy yellow dress catches him by surprise, being used to her skin-tight, dark, printed, and leathery extravagant type of clothes. "What?" He says nothing, just walks towards the couch, leaning in, his hand softly grazing on her torso, Salem takes a deep breath and reaches out her hand to his stomach but he suddenly pulls it away. 

"How are your ribs doing, doll?" He says after a few seconds, smiling after getting the wanted effect on her. 

"...wait, what?" Negan chuckles, clearly teasing her just for the fun of it. 

"Grandpa still fucking got it huh?" He laughs, leaving her hot and bothered to continue his hunt for food. “Well, there’s enough shit here for spaghetti, what do you think?”

“I’m not cooking.” Salem frowns on the couch, crossing her legs and arms, annoyed by Negan’s little trick. “And my ribs are fine, by the way, thanks for asking...asshole.”

“Come on, I thought you liked your little teasing games. Not so fun when you’re stuck on the other end huh?”

“Shut up.” She sits on the dining chair, watching him gather the necessary ingredients and utensils. “I didn’t know you could cook.”

“Well, there’s a lot of shit you don’t know about me I guess.”

“Like what?” 

“Let’s start on you first then.” He turns on the stove and begins to stir the sauce. “20 questions?”

“I lost my virginity when I was 14.” Salem chuckles. “Is this what you wanted to ask me, right?” Negan turns around, measuring her expressions. “At least that’s usually the kind of question men ask me anyway... I'm not sure why.” 

“I thought you were 14 when you killed for the first time, by accident or so you say.” He remembers her fiasco of a therapy session, Salem nods softly, surprised by his sharp memory. “Are those related?” She gulps down, looking away, running her fingers through her hair. “Maybe another time then.” Negan figured it was best no to press on the matter. _Let sleeping dogs lie_. “Your turn.”

“Don’t you think it would be so fucking funny if we had the custom of throwing wreaths of flowers up in the air, you know? Like wedding bouquets type of stuff, and whoever catches, dies next?” She asks amidst laughs and giggles. “Can you imagine?” Negan can’t hold in his laugh for as much he wished to after imagining such a scene. “See? Now you’re getting the fun of it.”

“God, your mind is just...something fucking else.” He continues to work on their food, Manson finally coming out of the shower. “Kid! You’re hungry?”

“Always.” He sits down next to Salem, hair dripping wet to what she twists her nose to. “What are our plans?”

“Meeting Machado tomorrow, getting our shit, drinking a few micheladas, getting on Luke’s plane, and back to the snapping old’s man neck plan. That if, Negan gets the dinner done tonight, of course.”

“If you're in such a hush, why don't you come here and fucking help me then?" 

"I like to watch." She shrugs. "Besides, I'm the lady of the house, Manson should do it." 

"...lady?" Manson rolls his eyes but stands anyway, lending a hand. "Right." Both he and Negan burst into loud laughs. "Lady, pft."

Salem was about to cuss the shit out of them but the sight of the two, cooking dinner for her, laughing, made her think before she spoke, at least once in her life so she said nothing, just watched them with glistening eyes.

Growing up she watched it on TV, movies, and even when she was supposed to keep an eye on the targets, how families and couples were supposed to act. 

She never imagined herself settling down or having kids, nothing of sort but she did wonder how her life would've turned out if Rawlings didn't adopt her, even if she was doomed to grow up in the system and jump from orphanage to orphanage, to one family to another, it didn't matter, still would've been better than being programmed to the life she had. 

Maybe that's why she felt soft around Manson, he had what she never did: a chance. And there was no way in hell she would allow that twisted man she used to call father, take that away from him. From her. 

"Hey, are you okay?" Manson suddenly asked, waving a hand, Salem takes a deep breath, processing her words. "Are you mad about the lady joke? Damn, I didn't know-" 

"What? No, I'm not mad." She quickly dismisses the idea, Negan is watching the exchange with sharp eyes, listening carefully. "Hm, I just need a minute." The sound of the chair scraping the floor is loud enough to make Manson jump slightly as she rushes to the bathroom and shuts the door. 

"She's mad at me isn't she?" Manson bites his nails nervously, looking back at Negan, who turned the stove off. "Shit, she's mad."

"Hey, calm down." He pulls the hand of Manson's mouth. "Stop that, go ahead and finish the sauce. I'll talk to her." Patting his back, he hands the wooden spoon and slowly walks to the bathroom door, knocking softly. "Salem?" 

"What?" Her voice seems muffled. 

"Are you...decent?" 

"...does it matter by now?" Negan rolls his eyes and opens the door, she's sitting on a stool by the window, struggling to light up a cigarette. _How the hell does she keeps getting those things without me noticing?_

"Dinner's almost ready." He leans in against the wall and she scoffs. "What?" 

"Do you have any idea of how weird this is for me?" Salem finally succeeds and takes a long drag. "Dinner's almost ready", I honestly think that's the first time I've heard that sentence in real life." 

"Fuck, no ever made you dinner?" 

"Of course they did, duh. But...never like that." Licking her lips she taps on the cigarette, the ashes falling on her dress. "So this how it feels like huh? How did you put it? Being a nice normal decent human being?!" 

"You're not mad about that still are you?-"

"Negan, you're missing the point, baby!" Salem laughs. "Never in my whole life I've pictured myself babysitting a kid and having a cop, out of all the people...no offense, make me dinner. FUCK, I’m sorry. It’s just...I’m really happy, so I think this has to be a good thing, right?"

Negan pulls her into a tight hug, kissing the top of her head, taking a deep breath. 

"You know what, truth be told, doll, I never pictured me making dinner for someone like you either." She chuckles, squeezing him tight. "You're scared?" He can feel her nodding. "Why?" 

"Cause eventually, I know things will go to utter shit and I'll probably be the one to blame." Salem shivers. "I am what happens when they turn children into monsters, I can't have that kid looking up to me." 

"Hey, hey, don't say that-" 

"Negan, is true, I'm not a fucking hypocrite, I know what I've done. Fuck...I've killed so many people. I know I'm not normal, I...I’m just tired of the dead bodies… police, and threats… I can’t do this anymore." He couldn't pat her head and deny it too, and knowing her, Negan knew she would be furious about false sympathy. "All I'm asking for is a nice normal boring life."

"And you think you'll get that by killing him?" Salem scoffs, taking another drag. "Salem…"

"...what the fuck else am I supposed to do?" 

"Turn him in! Make sure that fucker gets the shit he deserves!" She seems to ponder the idea. "Think about it, do you really think his enemies won't go after him just like he did with you? He's the one who'll have to watch over his fucking shoulder the rest of his shitty life."

"You think so?" 

"Yeah!" 

"And Russo?" 

"Fuck him, one stone two fucking birds." Salem laughs at his mannerisms. "I told you before, you can't trust that plastic doll." 

"And you say that cause you are just so great in your job or it's because you're jealous?" 

"I never get jealous." 

"Really? Cause Machado and I-"

"Zip it." He leans in and kisses her lips, shutting her up from venting about it, even though it was total bullshit. "At least promise me you'll think about it." 

"...I promise." A soft knock on the door interrupts them. "Yeah?" 

"Are you two...decent?" Manson awkwardly asks, opening the door slightly. "Hm, I just wanted to apologize-"

"Shut up, I'm not mad, kid. That's just the showman in me." Salem jumps off the stool, taking the final drag and tossing the cigarette through the window. "But please tell me dinner's ready." 

"Yeah, hm, that's what I was going to say." He looks down, embarrassed. "I've burned the sauce." 

Negan whispers a quick "fuck" before joining Manson in staring Salem, expecting a response from her. 

"Well... let's see what the lady of the house can fix us then." 

"Are we really going down that road again?" Megan laughs, patting Manson's back, who expected a scolding or even a slap from him. "Lady of the house am I right?" 

"If you don't shut your mouth, the next thing to come out of it will be your teeth." Salem hisses while throwing away the burned sauce and starting over. 

The thing is, starting over a recipe is easy, quick, but a whole killing record as long and dark as Salem's? That's the opposite of it, but Salem knew that, and day by day, under Negan's good influence and Manson's innocent aura, she was starting making peace with that. 

But old habits die hard, especially if that's all you were conditioned to do. Negan just hoped that his influence would be enough to keep her calm when the big secret he was keeping from her gets revealed. 

Because at the end of the day, if you kill a killer, the number of killers in the world remains the same, but does that count if said killer is as bad as her father?

Whatever the answer to that question may be, none of the three dared to think about it that night, let the fantasy live for a bit. 

"I would like to make a toast!" Salem says after what they managed to save and use as a dinner, raising a tequila glass, pouring one even for Manson, Negan twisted his nose to it but figured one glass wouldn't hurt.

"To the best road buddies I could've asked for. May we get what we want, may we get what we need, but may we never get what we deserve. Cheers!" 

If only a toast could go past as a wish...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah the sweet taste of utopia lol 
> 
> Next chapter we'll meet the mess that is Machado, Russo will make his move and things get bloody. 
> 
> Thanks for reading! See ya!


	32. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry belated Christmas, kids!

After the dinner they had last night, their conversation lasted hours and hours, she couldn't remember the last time she laughed as hard as she did the night before, Manson had proved to be quite fun to be around when you get to know him past his melancholy facade. 

Or maybe he just used humor to cope with the whole situation, as Salem herself usually did. 

What surprised her the most was how many stories and jokes Negan had hidden until now, he had lived a risky life and even had scars to prove it. 

"Wait, so you're telling me, if you didn't go through with this whole police detective thing, you would have become a teacher?" Manson asked, side-eyeing Salem. "Like, a real teacher?" 

"Yeah, is that so fucking hard to believe?" Negan snorted, cracking open another beer. 

"I mean...yeah, it is." Salem frowns, trying, and failing to paint a picture. “I just can’t see it.”

"Well, damn, thank you for believing in me, doll." 

"No! It's just that, well, I personally don't mind, truth be told I'm quite fond of it even but what would do with that nasty mouth of yours?" She asks, laughing as Manson hid his face in his hands. 

"The kids wouldn't mind." 

"True...the parents on the other hand…" 

"Yeah, the dad's would probably hate you the most." 

"Why the hell is that?" He questions, curious but Salem's mischievous smile explains everything. "Oh, well...I can't be blamed for being a walking pussy magnet." 

"Hey, language!" Salem laughs while covering Manson's ears with her hands. "What will Manson think about us?" 

"Nothing good, of that you can be sure." Manson elbows her ribs, playfully, but being still tender (and denying it) in the area, Salem winces in pain, taking a deep breath, cursing as she shut her eyes. "Fuck, I forgot, are you okay?" He quickly apologized but Negan had already stood from his seat and crouched by her side, an expression of concern tainting his face. "Should I get you anything?" 

"Doll, talk to me, you good?" Negan snapped his fingers, trying to get her attention. 

"Yeah...yeah, I...fuck. Get me that tequila bottle over there." She asked, her eyes still closed, the pain irradiating to her back.  _ That’s mildly concerning _ . "Thanks, kid." Gulping a good amount of the clear liquid between deep breaths, she finally regains her posture again, licking her lips clean, running her fingers through her hair, moving it away from her face. "Was that in slow motion for you too?" Salem asks sarcastically when she notices two pairs of eyes glued on her, both of them rolling in response. “What? I said I’m fine!”

"She's fine, kid, don't you fucking worry." Negan slapped her thigh, chuckling but the faint hint of concern still lingered, the youngest of them still feeling a hint of guilt. "Maybe you should lay down." 

"Are you sure you're okay?" Manson asked, glancing at Negan for confirmation. "I... I saw the bruises, and they look really bad." 

"Yeah they felt even worse but as Machado would say, vaso ruim não quebra." 

"...wait what now?" 

"Nevermind. Maybe we should get you some lessons, learning a new language is fun!" 

"Can we focus on the now, please? Salem, Manson is right, the bruises do look bad as fuck, go to bed, we'll clean up this mess." 

“I don’t want to go to bed.” 

“GO. Before I tie your bruised ass down.” 

“Oh, do not threaten me of a good time.” She stood from her seat, standing face to face to a still shirtless Negan. “Do you still have your handcuffs on with you?”

“UGH, STOP.” Manson groaned, grabbing the plates, breaking the mood. “I’ll wash and you dry, ok?”

“...ok, boss.” Negan chuckled, his eyes following the woman in front of him as she made her way to the bedroom, leaning in to whisper. “I think you’re starting to rub off on him.”

“Really? Truth be told, he kinda reminds me of you.” Salem snapped back. “Well, if he at least catches my wit and cleverness, he’s set for life.” Before Negan could laugh as she knew he would, she pulled him into a kiss. “Promise me one thing?”

“Try me…”  _ Oh fuck.  _

“I know we can’t plan anything ahead, but, can we at least enjoy what we have for now?”

And what exactly did they have for now? Negan thought about the long run for the first time since they ran away, well, since he let her run away. Sure, Salem had experience running, hiding, and living under the radar but Negan didn’t, and what would happen if they break up in the future? 

What happens if he were to get caught? 

There’s no way in hell they would believe she kidnapped him for months, especially knowing their history. Simon was a big mouth friend, a friend that he had for years now but how much could he trust? 

He had a deep dislike for Salem, just like the rest of the police department, the FBI, and anyone actually, she had killed a lot of people,  **a lot** .

He wonders if she knew all their names, if she even remembers them, and even more, he wonders if she regrets it. Negan was aware she was tired of the dead bodies as she put it herself, but did she regret killing Amber? Her boyfriend? Her neighbor? Regina? The couple in the motel that night? Anyone, actually, does she? 

“I said the wrong thing, didn’t I? Fuck, you’re overthinking it, I can tell.”

“...look, Salem-”

“Slow down.” She grabs his hand as she sits on the edge of the bed. “I’m not stupid, I’m not asking you a fucking happy ever after type of shit, okay? I know that it won’t end like that, this is not a rom-com...even though I’m the main character here and you know it.“ Negan chuckles after that comment but she gives him no time to add anything else. “I just want to enjoy the good thing we have going on right now. Is that too much to ask?”

“Actually-” 

“SALEM!” Manson suddenly screams, something crashing following it, interrupting Negan’s train of thought, her face getting darker as she grabs the gun from under the pillow, a piece of information unknown to him so far.  _ Why’s she keeping that from me?  _

Walking slowly to the kid’s aid, she whistles to the intruder sporting a flashy silver suit.

“This gonna end bad for you either way. Let’s not make things fun for me ok? ” She says between gritted teeth. “Who sent you?”

“Is this a way to welcome a long time friend who came out of his stable earlier to help you out, puta?” Salem smiles as she recognizes the man’s voice and accent. “Who sent me?! Pft.”

“Machado!” She hands Negan the gun, who’s still not convinced in lowering his guard, especially now. “I missed you!” Salem rushes and hugs the man, running her hands through his outfit. “Not as much of your clothes though.”

“Please, you would kill for my looks. Matter of fact, if I do remember precisely, you have done it in the past.” They both laugh like mad for a few seconds but the memory of her other two companions stops her from going any further. 

“Uhm, yeah...” She clears her throat.  _ Am I?  _ “This is actually why I’m cashing out that favor...I’m done with that.”  _ For now.  _

“...wait...what? But you’re the best in your-”

“I know! But...actually, this is not of your goddamn business. Do you have it?”

“Eita, calma ai.” He raises his hands in defeat. “Of course I do. I was just hoping we could get a drink first.” Negan takes a few steps closer, checking the blinds and standing in front of Manson, who still held a knife up. “Just you and me. “ Salem raises one of her brows in suspicion. “For old times sake.”

“I’m in a bit of a rush, actually.” 

“I thought you were done with it.”

“And she is, goddamn it.” Negan bark at him, hand still in hand. Machado was a criminal after all. But so was Negan by now, right? “We’ll get our shit and go. Thanks.”

“Is this Billy’s replacement?” Machado winks at Negan, sizing him up. “Well, I can see he fits your type just right, huh?!” Salem chuckles. “Speaking of him, where’s he?”

“Long story.” 

“And who’s the magricelo here?”

“Longer story.” Salem takes a deep breath, knowing Machado, he would bother the three of them with thousands of questions and Negan’s expression already indicated his lack of patience. “Look, just, give me five minutes and we’ll get our drinks, okay?”

“Maybe you haven’t changed that much then. Micheladas, still?!” He claps, relieved. “You’re welcome to come along with us, chefe. I would love to get the new Russo. Might even have a job for you-”

“I don’t work for you, asshole. And I’m not going anywhere actually.” He towers over Machado, his jaw clenched, the man in the silver suit walking towards the door, waiting outside. “And neither are you, Salem.” Negan points at Salem who already had changed her previous clothes, the delicate dress, gone, giving place for her usual attire, but she merely smiles in that way that made him mad, confused, from the day they met. “You’re not going, goddamn it.”

“Relax, it’s just half an hour, tops. Wait up.” Salem kisses his cheek. “And you’re holding it wrong, kid.” She adjusts the knife of Manson’s hand, positioning it right. “There, that way you can dig deep without cutting your hand.” He looks at her, nodding, holding it tight. “Be right back, boys. Try not to do anything stupid while I’m gone.”

“I could say the same thing to you,” Negan says harshly, not happy with her choice of company. “Try not to do anything you’ll cry about it later.” 

“Don’t speak to me like that, Negan.” Salem stops by the door, not pleased with his choice of words, as if he was mocking her previous displays of emotion. “You’re new to this, I get it, okay? But let’s just not forget one thing here: you’re the one who chose to come with me, you’re the one who got me out, I didn’t ask for it, I’m grateful, don’t get me wrong, but I did not get you here kicking and screaming, you came on your own.”

“I thought we agreed on the killing thing-”

“I promised to considerer it.”

“You’re coming or what?” Machado clears his throat.

“Don’t.” Negan grabs her wrist, stopping her in place. “There’s still time to get ourselves out of this clusterfuck.”

“...what the hell are you talking about?”

“Salem?” Machado calls her out again. “Come on, gata, I’m not getting any younger here.”

“TÔ INDO, PORRA!” She screams back. “Look, I already got him here and he owes me, we can talk about your ideas another time okay? I’ll be back in an hour.“ Salem pulls her arm, rushing after the Machado. “Lock the door.”

He closes the door with a bang, not locking it in protest, running the latest happenings on his head like a movie.  _ What the hell am I doing?  _

“Do you think she’s gonna be okay?” Manson asks watching through the window as Salem enters Machado’s car. 

“Pack your shit.” Negan orders. “We might have to leave earlier than planned.” 

“But what about Salem?” The kid glares at Negan, who was checking the ammunition. 

“It’s up to her now.” He sits down, running his hands on his face, feeling exhausted out of a sudden.  _ What the hell did I do?  _ “In the end, this is totally up to her.”

Negan finally realized that either she changed for good, literally, or he did. 

There’s no middle ground.

But it’s not entirely up to Salem, was it? Negan had to make a choice, and quickly. 

Either you’re all in or you’re all out.

\----------------------------------------------------------------

“So...you’re done with that?” Machado asks after two drinks in sketchy looking bar. 

“Yeah, I’m tired of it.” Salem runs a hand through her hair, still thinking about their last conversation.

“But why? You have never been afraid of...actually you never been afraid of anything, have you?”

“No, I’m not afraid of dying, it is that what you’re asking.” Salem chuckles, licking the salty rim of her glass. “I just...I want to live a little first. After all the shit I’ve done for everyone, I don’t think is too much to ask.” 

“It’s him isn’t it?” He scoffs, not believing his ears. “Wow...who would’ve guessed that it would take a simple American dick to get you down.” The two laugh, savoring their drinks. “But as promised, here’s the documents.” He slides an envelope and she opens it, inspecting the work.  _ Perfect _ . “So, what’s the next step?” She ponders her next steps but she figure it was best to let her mind take a break before she did anything stupid. 

“Right now, dancing to this song with my poorly dressed friend…” Salem stands from her seat, tying her hair up. “...heading back, then riding that American dick till I can’t take it anymore. Sounds like a good plan to me, right?”

Machado lets out a loud laugh, standing from his chair, taking her hand to the middle of the bar, where they danced to a song that pretty much described Negan’s inner turmoil from the day they met to that very moment while he hangs up the payphone, having sealed their fate for good with a simple international phone call. 

He had made up his mind, he had to stop this from going any far than it already had, he knew Salem would probably never forgive him for this but he did it thinking of her, it was true. He hated to admit but he did develop feelings for Salem and one part of him knew she had it too, he wasn’t sure it was love or something like that, but it was deep enough for him to turn themselves in, cutting a deal for her, a good one, for both of them. 

Salem was their best chance and they still had the leverage of information on her family, and Negan didn’t have the guts to tell her such a horrific story, he wasn’t even sure if he wanted her to know in the first place, but if she had to, he didn’t plan to be the one from who she would hear it from.

All she had to do was to turn herself over and sticking to the original plan. The only reason Daryl agreed to it was because Russo was nowhere to be found and without him and Salem, the FBI had absolutely nothing, Negan didn’t mention the kid in the call, he was still trying to figure out what to do, there was no way he would let him go back to the system, not after knowing about his trash of a stepdad. But would he forgive Negan? Or would Salem? He didn’t know nor he wished to think about it, especially now that the damage was done.

“Manson, come here, I need to tell you something,” Negan called out, entering the living room. “Manson?”

“Negan, help!” Turning to the direction where the voice came from with the gun ready, he’s taken aback by the sight of Russo coming out of the room, a gun glued to the kids already bleeding temple, forcing him to lower his.

“Let the kid go, he has nothing to do with this shit.” He pleads, kicking the gun in Russo’s direction, he was a good shooter but he wasn’t taking any risks. “Let him go.”

“Yeah, I don’t think so. And you really should’ve locked the fucking door.” He chuckles darkly. 

“She’s gonna kill you, you know that don’t you?” Negan grunts as he’s tied to a chair, his back against shivering Manson’s.

“Oh, I’m not so sure about that. Especially after you tell her the big secret you’re hiding from her.” Russo winks. “You know, that couple on that motel, that she killed right under your nose? She told me she killed them over bad, uh, sorry, bad loud music as herself casually put it.” He shrugs. “You see, it doesn’t matter how much you think she changed, she has always been  **that** petty. Can you imagine what she’ll do when she finds out you’ve been hiding such precious information from her this whole time?”

“What are you hiding from her?” Manson asks, scared and annoyed at the same time. “I knew it! I knew it we shouldn’t have trusted you!”

“Oops, guess the kid picked the mom’s side already.” Russo sits down by the window, laughing at Negan defeated face. “Now...let’s wait for the main character to get here so we can get this party started. I can’t wait to see how she’ll kill you.”

_ She wouldn’t...would she? _

_...fuck.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh well...


	33. Chapter 33

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long time no see huh? 
> 
> Sorry for taking this long to write this chapter but my other fic has been so much fun and easier to write lol 
> 
> But back at this one...
> 
> It's pretty much angst, betrayal, and heartbreak.

"Maybe you should slow down, lady." The bartender says, hesitantly, bottle in hand, not feeling like cleaning or carrying up the clearly intoxicated woman out. "Are you sure everything's okay?"

"I'm fine!" The woman with smudged makeup, shivering hands, and disheveled hair complains. "And maybe you should mind your fucking business, which I'm pretty sure implies refilling my fucking cup." She pushes the cup in his direction. "Pour."

"Have it your way." He says, defeated.

She smiles, raising the glass and turning to take a look at the crowded bar, her eyes scanning, searching for a particular face, or at least one that resembled such particularity, she was stuck in the same routine for months now. No success in it so far.

"Is this seat taken?" A man approaches, signaling for the bartender.

"No." She glances in his direction, not paying much attention.

"You know, I've got my eyes on you all night long." He says after taking a sip on his drink.

"Oh yeah?" Taking a deep breath, closing her eyes, she holds back the urge to scream that just hit her, as it often would from time to time.

"Yeah, you looked amazing on the dance floor." She feels a hand on her knee, patting her up, sweaty warm palm making her shiver. "You come here a lot?"

"No, not really."

"Are you from around town?"

"Fuck no."

"You've got a dirty little mouth huh? I like that." He gets closer, laughing. "What's your name, sugar?"

"Tell you what...let me ask you a question and depending on your answer, I'll give you my name."

"Sure, I like games. Hit it."

"You have to be honest."

"Promise." She smiles, twirling the cup in her hand.

"I lived a long life in a profession where the life expectancy is...well, pretty low." He takes a deep breath, wondering how much would it cost him. "And in that long life, I've never met a man who didn't want to fuck me or to kill me." Her face is dead serious, green dilated eyes burning his. "Can you say that you're different?"

"Well…"

"You promised me to be honest." She reminded him. "So?"

"Well...the first option, yeah." Her dark eyebrow raised and she chuckled lightly, as he seemed to be taken aback by her question, expecting a straight fuck off from her any time soon, but he's surprised by an inviting smile. "Did I get it right?" 

"Thank you for your honesty." Standing from her seat and signaling with her head for him to follow her to the bathroom, she finishes the cup in her hand, smashing it against the counter, the broken glass cutting her skin, which seemed not to bother her intoxicated state at all as she reached her bleeding hand out for a handshake for his despair. "Oh, my name is Salem, by the way. Nice to meet you."

\----------------------------  
 **3 MONTHS EARLIER**

"What do you want from us?" Manson asks, his throat drying by now, over an hour had passed and there was no sign of Salem's return.

"Honestly, I want you two to stop ruining my plans for her." Russo shrugs, checking his watch. "It's hard enough to get her to do anything right without interference, with you two, it's even harder."

"And what are your plans for her, huh? Having her combing your hair?" Negan laughs, the sound masking the sound of him trying to undo his restraints. "Yeah, I hid some things from her but I did it focusing on her own sake, to protect her." The man holding the gun scoffs, rolling his eyes. "You think you know her so much but I bet my left ball that if she had to choose between you and me to put an end to, you would be the first motherfucker to go down. Ever thought about that?"

"Speaking of that, since you're so damn sure of how Salem, the killer I've know for years now may I add, acts and reacts, how is she doing about that no killing thing?"

"She's doing better than she ever did around you."

"Isn't that sweet, kid? That pig here thinks that just because they fucked a few times, that he changed her for good." Russo laughs, getting up from his seat. "She's a weapon, you idiot. A good one may I add, she's a killer, don't forget it. You can use a spear as a walking stick but that will not change its nature. Face it, Negan, she was born to it, that is all she knows...and there's nothing you can do about it." The thought of Salem never changing makes him consider things for a second, especially now, tied, having called the FBI and ratted them out, lying to her, Negan knew she wouldn't take it lightly.

"And here she comes." Russo smiles, taping their mouths before they could warn her and turning off the lights, waiting for the door to open as he hears her singing from the hall, fumbling with the door handle.

"What the fuck...NEGAN! I thought I've told you to lock this shit! Anyone can come in, goddamn." Salem curses, barging in. "And why's so fucking dark in here?"

Russo switches on the lights, smiling, his gun pointed at her chest.

"...see?" That's all she says, stating her point, banging the door shut, eyeing the two tied onto chairs with heavy eyes. "Okay, Russo, it's always lovely to see you but, you're ruining my vacation so let's get this shit over with," she walks in stumbling, placing an already opened bottle on the counter, and taking a deep breath. "A: What are you doing here? B: what do you want and C: who on God's earth cut your hair? It's awful." Manson and Negan let out an adrenaline-induced muffled laugh, anxious about how their lives were literally on Salem's drunken hands.

"Always with the jokes." He stands from the chair, his gun still in hand, feeling more relieved now that she did not charge at him immediately. "You look drunk. What were you drinking?"

"It doesn't matter." She grabs the bottle, defensive, almost taking a sip. "I asked you a question. What are you doing here? And why did you tie my friends? That's so rude."

"Your friends? A kid that almost got you killed? And a cop who's been lying to you for ages now?"

Okay, first of all, I've almost got myself killed daily for years now so the bar isn't really that high." Taking a deep breath and glancing at Manson, she gives him a reassuring smile, taking a while to process the second part. "Wait, a cop's who's been what now?"

"It came to my attention that your new toy here is setting you up." Salem laughs at Russo, not believing him.

"Setting me up? For what?"

"Salem, have you ever wondered what would you do if you found out your real family?" He asks her, taking a step towards Negan, who was taking deep struggled breaths, pulling off the tape roughly, earning a grunt from him. "And don't give me that bullshit you give to everyone else-"

"What do you want, Russo?" She cuts him off, defensive.

"I just want what's best for you." Both Salem and Negan scoff in unison. "That's why I've come here to tell you the truth."

"Salem, don't listen to him!" Negan pleaded, trying to undo his restraints, again. "He's trying to fuck us over, don't you fucking listen to him!"

Salem frowns, not sure of why he was so agitated if what he was trying to say was nothing but a setup, she wasn't stupid, she knew how things go.

"Okay, Mister, why don't you untie them, and then we can discuss whatever is the shit you're dying to tell me like real adults?" She takes a deep breath, dizzy.

"Salem, you know we can't trust them." Russo smiles, coming closer.

"And who can trust? Huh?" She asks, grabbing the bottle. "My dad? The man who took me from God knows which family and turned me into a fucking cold-blooded killer and then for unknown reasons tried to get me killed? You? The man who suspected he planned such a thing and said nothing? Or him, the man who offered me a way out and has not failed me ever since?...in more than one aspect may I add. Aspects that you certainly did."

His face gets darker, as he seemed to get enough of her mean comments so he just blurts out what he was holding for so long.

"Well...at least I didn't kill my parents."

"...what?" Salem asks after a few seconds.

"And that's what your perfect man has been hiding from you."

"Salem, listen to me. We can talk about this." Negan pleaded, looking at her confused face. "We can't be sure that's what fucking happened okay?"

"So it 's true?" She questions, her breathing shallow, stumbling to the side a little. "Negan, it is true?"

"They've told me. But we can't be one hundred percent sure okay? The only one who probably knows the fucking truth is that asshole you used to call father!"

"And you knew...this whole time?" Salem's eyes begin to water, she dries them with the back of her hand, Manson had his eyes shut the entire time, this situation was as triggering as it gets for him. "ANSWER ME!"

"I didn't tell you because I knew this would... fucking break you."

"My own dad tried to have me killed. I think I could've managed it." Her voice is full of poison.

"I did this to protect you." He admits, scanning her face, something in the way she was looking at him made him scared as she almost takes a sip of the bottle. "Are you okay?"

"I'll be. You know...at first, I just wanted to kill him out of revenge but now...I want answers."

"There 's my girl!" Russo cheers, reaching out to her shoulder, shaking it. "So, now that you know he's a lying piece of shit, what do you say? Homicide-homicide and let's get out of here?" He asks, hopeful.

"Sure." Salem shrugs after pondering the idea.

Manson and Negan got desperate by her response, trying to jump out of the fire line as Russo raised the gun at Negan's chest.

"Wait!" She pleaded, hiccuping, reaching out her hand, Negan took the biggest breath of relief of his entire life at that very moment. "Let me do it."

"WAIT, WHAT?" Manson screamed. "SALEM PLEASE, DON'T KILL US. PLEASE-"

"SALEM! I KNOW I'VE HURT YOU BY LYING!" Negan tried to put some sense into her drunk head. "BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO THIS!"

"SHUT UP!" She screamed, taking the gun from Russo's hand. "BOTH OF YOU, SHUT UP, DON'T TALK ANYMORE, NOTHING!" Her hand was shivering, Negan could tell she wasn't in a clear head, her once steady deadly hand was now shaking as the tears rolled freely down her cheek. "We could've had a good thing you and I. You just had to go and...and fucking ruin it."

"Okay...I get it, you're upset. You're fucking hurt. I fucking get it." Negan pleaded. "But this anger you're feeling now, that shit is aimed at me. Don't take up on Manson." He begged with his eyes, Salem's mouth twitched, her eyes glistening. "Do you what you gotta do with me but... leave the kid alone."

"Come on, Salem. Just...end this shit so we can go home." Russo sighs, rolling his eyes, inpatient.

“I am home, motherfucker.” She turns around and pulls the trigger, aiming at Russo’s head but to everyone’s terror, nothing happens, considering the chamber’s empty. She looks at him, then at the gun, and closes her eyes. “...shit.”

“You’re losing your touch, evil one.” He laughs before charging at her, tackling and pinning her down. “STUPID BITCH! You really think I would hand you a loaded gun?”

“GET THE FUCK OFF!” Salem tries to roll over, dodging a punch and giving him a knee on his crotch area, crawling to Manson, untying him as quickly as she could, before Russo grabbed her again and tossed her against the wall. If I knew things would take this shitty turn, I wouldn’t have drink all those shots.

“I guess I just have to do this myself then.” Russo begins to choke her, not paying attention to a rushing Manson, who sneakily escaped and now was in the process of uniting his companion. “Just so you can get some clearance, daddy only suspected of you cause I’ve made him to.”

“LET GO OF HER!” Negan roared as Manson struggled to undo the professional knots.

“Die in peace knowing they’re following you next.” He squeezed tighter and Salem went soft, closing her eyes.

“I SAID, LET HER FUCKING GO!” Negan appeared behind him and put him on a tight chokehold, tackling him to the floor as Manson rushed to Salem’s aid, slapping her face over and over until she came to her senses once again with blood injected eyes and coughing like a sick dog. “Not so fucking tough now, huh? Attacking drunk women is fucking easy, right?”

She pushes Manson out of the way, tapping Russo’s pockets, finding what she was looking for, rushing to the discarded gun on the floor.

“You’re gonna rot in jail, motherfucker.” Negan spat, still keeping him down, until a furious Salem appears, kicking him away and pointing the now loaded gun at Russo’s chest, who stopped struggling immediately. Manson’s eyes went as wide as they could, not feeling like watching someone else die in front of him.

“Wait, Salem, let’s take a break here-”

“Shut the fuck up!” She screams, her voice hoarse and dry. “Russo, I’m gonna give you one chance of a quick death. I’m gonna ask you a few questions and you’re gonna answer me with yes or no, got it?”

“Go fuck yourself-” Salem rolls her eyes and shoots him in the same shoulder she once did, he screamed in pain and shock. “You bitch!”

“Yes or no.”

“FINE!”

“Is my real family death?”

“Yes.”

“Was I responsible?”

“Yes!”

“And my father knew?”

“YES!”

She nods, taking a deep breath.

“Well, it’s not like I was going to get a happy ending anyway.”

“A murder like you?” Russo scoffs, clutching at his shoulder. “You’re a terrible person, Salem. A murder, a monster. No one in sane mind would want you! Especially as a child.”

“Shut up, you piece of shit.” Negan steps in his hand, twisting his shoe. “You’re gonna tell everything you know for the feds, the fucking truth this time, or so help me God-”

“No, he won’t.” Salem approached and Negan could tell she was doing her best not to break into pieces right then. “And you knew too...you always have.”

“Salem, your father-”

“But he’s right.” She caressed his face, her eyes scanning his features. “My father was a monster...but so are you.” Negan turns around to look for Manson, the boy was trembling, his eyes fixed on the gory scene he knew was about to happen but it was so fast that he couldn’t stop her from finishing it. “And so am I.” Salem then shoots him in a close range, blood splattering on her face and clothes.

“...why the hell did you do that?” Negan asks, desperate. “SALEM, WHY THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT?” She looks at him, her expression bitter. “Salem…”

“Get out.” She points the gun towards him. “You fucking lying piece of shit, get the fuck out.”

“...Woah. He saved your life…” Manson whispers, raising his hands.

“I was wrong hiding that from you, I admit it but...come on, Salem-”

“You know...for a moment, I started to believe something could happen between us. Something real.” Salem sobs, all the things she came to learn that night being a heavy baggage she wasn’t able to carry. “That we could trust each other, go out to dinner like everyone else, have fun without having to run all the fucking time and I don’t know, maybe we could stay in a some nights so you could make me your spaghetti. Which is disgusting, by the way,” She halfway cries and sobs, waving her head. “Fuck, I don’t know…I even thought for a moment that I could forget all the shit we’ve been through, just move on and forget about all and that we could have a future.” The sound of sirens and shouting outside catches them by surprise, Negan finally remembering his last phone call, which he realized now it was a stupid mistake, Salem caught the guilt on his face in a split second, scoffing. “How stupid of me, huh?

“Salem, just listen to me.”

“I should’ve never trusted you. I thought you were special.”

“Please, Salem, don’t leave me here!” Manson begged, trying to follow her but the sudden rise of the gun in her hand made him freeze in place, Negan stepped in, shielding the kid. “I can’t let you do this.”

“Keep him safe, at least until I finish things.” She lowered her head and walked to the window, looking down she saw that Machado still waited outside, waving desperately. My way out.

“I won’t stop,” Negan admitted, his hands still up. “You know I can’t fucking stop. I will chase after you, you fucking know it.” She chuckled, walked towards him, kissing his lips passionately. “Salem, I promise you, he’ll rot in jail.”

“Not if I get to him first.” Salem raised her brow in defiance. “I’m going to kill him, and if you get in my way...I’m going to kill you too.” She looked at Russo’s dead body in affirmation of her threat and jumped to the fire escape, rushing to Machado’s car and running off.

Abandoning the two men of her life.

Leaving everything behind, including the only one she ever loved and perhaps the only person the ever loved her back.

But sometimes you have to act like you don’t care, even when you do care so much more than you led others to believe in if you have one last job to finish and there was no way in hell she would let this thing go.

Especially now...I mean, what else did she had to lose in the process?

Herself?

**There are no maps of the change.**

  
**You either come out on the other side or you don't.**

  
**There's no middle ground.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It couldn't be that easy right? lol
> 
> Next chapter we'll focus on Negan's point of view
> 
> Stay tuned.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading and see you soon (I hope, no promises, please don't hate me)


	34. Chapter 34

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :(

  
  


“Do you wanna hang out this weekend?” Simon asks Negan, who was sitting on his floor, reading some files of an already closed case, considering there wasn’t much to do after being demoted from his old job and forced into a sort of a protected witness program. “Maybe we’ll get lucky, huh? A lot of pussy in the new town huh?”

“Si, I can’t, gotta watch the kid.” It was an excuse and Simon knew it.

“He can tag along.” His friend insisted on the phone. “Come on, it’s been over three months.” Simon pushed his chair, turning around, bored without his partner on the station.“You need to let this bitch go.”

After the police arrived on said night, Negan’s luck turned around to a bad strike, Rick was pissed and so was Daryl. 

He nearly got into serious trouble if weren’t for Manson’s help, who told them everything, hiding a few details here and there but he shared enough. Negan hated at first but if that meant Manson’s safety, he couldn’t complain, besides, it was best for him, to get a fresh start, away from the memories and all, or at least that was what he thought.

“Simon, for the last fucking time, I’m over it, okay?! I’m fucking stuck in this suburban shithole because of her, okay? So yeah, I’m sorry if I’m not freaking interested and don’t feel like walking around that stupid town! But the faster I finish this fucking program, the faster I can get the hell out of here!”

“Dang...is that bad?”

“IT’S AWFUL, IT’S FUCKING AWFUL!” Negan curses on the phone, knowing Manson was at the school that Child Services insisted he attended to, to make him get the taste of normality. “If you could see the nasty fucking looks that kid gives me from time to time, FUCK!”

“Okay! Okay, my bad...also...I heard that Daryl was coming by the station later this week.”

“What? WHY THE HELL DIDN’T YOU STARTED OFF WITH THAT FUCKING INFORMATION?”

“I got distracted, sorry! So...hm, apparently, your ex, I mean, Salem, is giving up.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that maybe she’s letting this whole thing go, considering she’s getting farther and farther from whatever is that her dad is said to be.”

“...and where he’s said to be?”

“Oh...I don’t know, that’s all I could hear through the glass.” Simon laughs, knowing this would probably drive Negan mad. “But anyway, I’ll let you know of how things go later this week.” 

“Yeah, keep me posted.”

“...weren’t you not interested just a few seconds ago?”

“I’m not...shut up.” Negan hangs up the phone, taking a deep breath, watching his closet wall that was more a mural than really a wall. He had pictures, maps, reports, cards, everything you could think of, all about Salem’s dad, Simon was a big-mouthed prick but he also was quite useful, so from time to time, he would hand him vital information.

Having Manson’s memories by his favor helped too.

But he did miss from time to time having someone else by his side and sometimes he wondered if that someone missed him too.

“Shit…” It was 20 minutes past the time he was supposed to pick Manson up from school, not only did the kid disliked that they were stuck together, but he also wondered what would’ve been like if Salem hadn’t left him behind. Manson wasn’t stupid, he was glad that he had a safe place to be and all that but living with Negan wasn’t on his wish list, he just hoped Salem finished the job as quick as possible so he wouldn’t be afraid most of the time. 

Even though Negan was more than capable of keeping him safe, he feared coming home to a crime scene and being dragged into that world again. 

“Hey, kid...my bad.” Negan apologies out of breath. “I lost track of time.” He stops talking when he notices Manson’s glare. “Now what the fuck is it?”

“Nothing, I’m just tired.” They walk in silence for a while, Manson suddenly turning around, glancing over his shoulder, getting the feeling they were being watched. 

“So...how was, hm, school?” Negan asks, walking past a group of parents that waited for their kids to finish practice, recognizing one of them. _Shit._

“No fucking way. Negan?” _SHIT._ “Is that really you?” 

“Hi, Shane. What’s up?” _Kill me now._

“Man, it’s been years huh?” The ex-police officer asked, Shane Walsh used to be Rick’s partner back in the day, that since Rick found out that not only he was screwing Lori, he was actually the baby’s father too. Needless to say, that after the divorce, he didn’t stick around town, finding a new job as a gym coach. Shane and Negan didn’t ever get along, there could only be one alpha and all that, so him not knowing what had happened and why they were really there, weren’t exactly a surprise. “Is this your kid?”

“Hm, yeah, sort of.” Negan cleared his throat, looking at the other men around him. “Are you waiting for-”

“Carl, yeah, yeah, it’s our week with the little man.” Manson rolled his eyes, he and Carl already meet, and Manson instantly disliked him, he would always make such a fuss about his dad being from the police boss or some shit like that, even though in the end, Carl meant no harm, he was just trying to make friends. “Hey, you should swing by some time!”

“Huh?”

“Yeah, bring the kid too, I’m sure Lori would love to have you and your lady.”

“Thanks, man. I will.” _Most definitely not, fuck off_ . “Say hi to Carl for me. See ya.” _God, how much fucking longer will I have to play the friendly fucking neighbor, fuck!_

“Is he your friend from work or something?” Manson asks, shutting the car door.

“No, fuck no.” Negan quickly says, rubbing his forehead, a headache forming on its center. “But as far I remember, Carl is a good kid, maybe you should be his buddy or...some shit like that.”

“Now why the hell would I want to do that?” He snaps back, scoffing. 

“He’s a nice kid, why are you making this shit such a fucking deal?”

“Why are YOU making this such a big deal? Is not like you’re my fucking dad or something!”

“Well, thank fuck I’m not!” He had just about it with Manson snarky remarks and glares for the past three months. “Look, I get it, okay? I’m sure you would like it better if she had taken you with her but trust me, kid. That woman is nothing but trouble and-”

“YOU WERE THE ONE THAT FUCKING LIED TO HER IN THE FIRST PLACE!”

“SHUT THE HELL UP!” Negan roars back, hitting the brakes and pointing his finger at the now scared boy. “I did it for her own fucking sake and you fucking know it. Now, if you’re not happy with how we have to live from now on, FUCKING FINE, we don’t have to be buddies, but you’ll fucking respect me, alright? Or you think you can make it on your own just dandy? Please, without me, you would probably be in a fucking ditch or a fucking hospital bed by now.”

Manson just listened to it quietly, remembering of his sick mother, he hadn’t visited or called in months, he wondered how she was handling things without him and how was doing with Jhonny, his abusive scumbag of a stepdad. 

“Fucking Salem.” Negan punches the steering wheel, pinching his nose bridge. 

“I miss her too.” He mumbles, avoiding eye contact. “Do you think she’s ok?” Manson asked, not getting an answer from a frustrated Negan. “Do you think she misses us?”

“I don’t know.”

“Do you think she at least thinks about us?”

“I don’t fucking know, let’s just...let’s just get home, I have a fucking headache.”

_Fucking stop it, she doesn’t care or thinks about you….why should she? You lied about some major shit to her face._

Negan pondered the idea on the way back, he wasn’t sure what scared him the most: she does think about him

...or she doesn’t. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------

“Fuck, you’re so hot.” He says biting onto Salem’s shoulder, thrusting as hard as he could. “You’re so fucking hot.” 

_I know_ , Salem rolled her eyes, annoyed by now, he was doing his best but his best couldn’t reach the high standards she was used to of the one she didn’t dare to speak the name, she closed her eyes trying to imagine someone else in his place but it was pointless, so she just waited for him to finish, which didn’t take much longer. _Thank fuck._

“God, that...that was amazing.” She smiles faintly, pushing her skirt down, still seating on the bathroom counter, lighting up a cigarette, the blood from the previous cut dry on her forearm. “Wow, I cummed so hard.” _Well, that makes one of us._ “Did you?”

“You know I ain’t cum if you gotta ask me.” Salem scoffs and crosses her legs, taking a long drag and blowing the smoke in his shocked face. “Thanks for nothing, now fuck off.” 

“...crazy bitch.” The man she didn’t bother to ask the name walks out of the bathroom, leaving her alone with her thoughts, once again, which she hated to admit, it was a terrible feeling, maybe this was one of the reasons she would go out almost every night, looking for anyone that resembled him, his hair, his voice, his eyes, his hands, it was like she was creating a puzzle or painting a picture in her mind, even though it was subconsciously and she wouldn’t admit to herself, but the chosen one for the night was clearly a mistake of her intoxicated state.

“Yeah, yeah, I know.” Salem jumps off the counter, washing her hands and cleaning the blood off her arm, pondering on what she had scheduled for tomorrow.

For the past 3 months, she had been gathering clues of Rawling’s location and plans, whilst struggling to keep herself standing, considering every few weeks, a new colleague would come after her, but even that was getting boring so she would come up with stupid shit to pass the time and keep her mind numb.

And she was succeeding it so far, Machado had a few jobs for her too, so she was doing the best she could to stay busy and keep a few things out of her mind, small things, the utter guilt of the murder of her entire family, the killing of someone she once consider a fried and the loss of the one she truly cared for. 

_Fucking stop it, he doesn’t care or thinks about you….why should he? You pointed a gun to his face._

Fixing her hair and her make-up, she swallows another happy pill and walks out the bathroom, back to the bar, ignoring the nasty looks she was getting from a group of women that were waiting in line for her to clear the place. 

_All it comes down to is this: I feel like shit but look great. But for how long?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fear not, their meeting is approaching once again! 
> 
> Thanks for reading! 
> 
> See you soon!


	35. Chapter 35

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long time no see! 
> 
> Here's a new chapter, I managed to update both my fics today yay me!

"Good morning," Salem says as she stumbles on the improvised kitchen, desperate for some painkillers and water. _ I know I say this every night but...God, if you're real, cure me from this deadly hungover and I promise I'll never drink again.  _ "I would offer you breakfast but apparently you didn't make any." She jokes but is still very much annoyed by it. “What?”

"Salem, we need to talk," Machado says, taking a deep breath and she turns around, rubbing her eyes, taking in the environment. “Talk Talk.”

"What's wrong?" She clears her throat, swallowing the pills. "Are we in danger? What are the suitcases for?" 

"I have to go." Machado purses his lips, clearly uncomfortable by this situation. 

"...okay. Just give me 20 minutes." Salem sighs, still tired.

"I said  **I** have to go." He repeats and she finally gets it. 

"Go where?" 

"It's personal." He's clearly nervous, a worried expression on his face, something rare to his chipper persona. "I've left you some money for the latest job, your documents are clean, you probably should get going too. We’re way too exposed here.”

"You're leaving me." Salem scoffs, biting her lips. "You're scared aren't you?" 

"Look, gata. I get it okay? I get it. But I'm way out of my league here and I can't risk my neck or my family's anymore. News travels fast and you're not exactly keeping a low profile." He was right, she knew that but she still hoped he wouldn’t leave her. Truth be told, the only reason she was jumping from one night stands to another was simply because she didn’t want to be alone. “I’m sorry, Salem. But you’re on your own from now on.”

"But I...." She frowns, looking for the bottle she had left on the counter when she got home last night.  _ Breakfast _ . “I thought we were friends.”

"And we are." Machado tries to explain himself, hugging her as he makes his way out, not as warmly as he used to be as if he expected her to snap at him. "But we are not family. You understand that, don't you?" 

"Sure...thanks for everything and good luck." Salem smiles sadly, shutting the door and grabbing that bottle.  _ That’s all I’ve got left. _

_ And I'm the one to blame _ . 

\----------------------------------------

**1 MONTH LATER**

“What the hell are we doing here?” Manson asks Negan, clearly annoyed. “I don’t wanna be friends with him!”

“Well, that’s too fucking bad cause we’ve already arrived at this goddamn barbecue.” Negan smirks, trying to get Manson to have a sense of normalcy even if it’s just a little. “Think about the food.”

“Yeah, getting a break from your spaghetti will be nice.” The boy snaps back, earning a playful push from Negan, who was growing on him more and more by the day. He could see that he was at least making an effort and he was doing a great job keeping them alive and safe so he decided to give him a chance. “No wonder Salem left.” He kept on and only then realized what he had said. “Fuck, sorry, I shouldn’t-”

“That’s okay, kid. Don’t make a fuss out of it.” Negan smiled and thanked himself for having his sunglasses on so Manson couldn’t tell how much that little joked actually sting. “Let’s get us some barbecue. I’m fucking starving.”

The second they walked into the backyard, they’ve regretted going. The place was filled with loud obnoxious friends of Shane and even worse, Shane himself, telling them his crazy (some even made up) stories. 

“The food better be A fucking plus.” They’ve both said in unison before going separate ways into the place, each one doing their best to handle the subjects they had no interest in until Negan could finally excuse himself to take a phone call. 

"Yeah?" He answered the phone, relieved to catch a break from Shane's stories. 

"Man, you're not gonna believe this." It was Simon, pretty much whispering on the phone, something unusual for him. 

"Well? Are you waiting for fucking drumrolls or something? Spill the fuck out." Negan sighed, impatient by now.

"Hi, Simon! How are you doing? I'm doing great, thanks so much for fucking asking." Simon was milking this information until the last drop, knowing he had the upper hand. 

"... goodbye, Simon." Negan scoffed and heard Simon laughing on the phone. "What is it?" 

"Remember Rawlings? You father-in-law?" 

"What? He's not my father-in-law, for fucks sake, what about him?" 

"He's here." Simon blurted out. "He's here, man. They finally caught him." 

It was like the world had frozen. Rawlings, Salem's dad. The whole reason they were stuck in this mess was finally caught. But Negan was naturally a suspicious man. 

"How?" 

"I don't know yet. All I know is that agent, Dixon, called Rick to let him know. I'm sure you'll get released from your suburban prison soon."

"Thank fuck!" He took a deep breath, his wave of relief soon turning into something else. "And...any news about?" 

"Your ex?" Simon joked, chuckling at Negan's reaction. "Nah, the rumor has it that she just gave up. Probably found another poor fucker to play and fuck with.” 

"That does not seem like her at all.” Negan admitted, rubbing the back of his neck.

“What do you mean? It’s exactly what she did with your dumbass-”

“I’m talking about giving up, your asshole!” He spat on the phone. “What makes you guys so fucking certain she gave up?”

“Beats me. You’re gonna have to ask Batman.” They kept talking for a while longer, well, arguing for a while until someone knocked on the door and Negan had to come out, looking for Manson. 

_ How will he react to this? _

“Hey, have you seen Manson?” He asked Carl who looked bored out of his mind, playing with his baby sister. 

“He left with some guy named Johnny.” Carl sighed, he actually hoped to get to know Manson better considering the boy was a mystery and wouldn’t approach anyone. 

“Wait...who?” Negan’s eyes went wide.  _ Could it be one of Salem’s colleagues trying to get to her through the kid?  _

“I don’t know, a guy named Johnny.” He repeats himself, slightly annoyed while Negan tries to remember who the hell Johnny was. And then it finally clicks. Johnny, the abusive stepfather that Manson hated so much, pretty much the whole reason behind Manson’s trip to that reformatory where everything went wrong. 

“Which way they went?” He asks between gritted teeth, rushing to the direction pointed, already blaming himself for whatever happened or would happen. 

“MANSON!” Negan screamed for the boy, finally reaching him, who was seating by the sidewalk, hiding his face between his hands. “Where is he?”

“He left.” Manson hisses when Negan leans in to scan his face, his eye bruising already. “I’m fine!” He pushes Negan’s hand away. “I can handle things myself, thank you!” 

“Did he fucking hit you?” Negan is holding his temper back the best he can. “How did he find you?”

“Apparently he and Shane are old friends.” Shocker, Negan thought to himself. “He said my mom is asking for me, she still has to go to the hospital for physical therapy and he doesn’t have the money to keep her coming anymore.”

“So that fucking coward came after you?” He reaches out his hand, pulling him up from the curb. “No, I’m going after him.”

“No, I just...I just wish he would drop dead but I need to see my mom.” Manson sighs but is still thinking about his sick mother. I need to see her. “I want to go home. You can fuck his ass later.” 

“I should’ve been here, kid. I’m sorry, fuck. I was on the bathroom-”

“It doesn’t matter, I just want to go home.” He repeats himself, his eye stinging. “Please.”

“...fine. But he’ll pay. Trust me.” 

\--------------------------------

**A FEW DAYS LATER**

“I’m coming goddamn it.” Johnny sighs, standing up for the first time in hours from the stinking couch he spent the rainy day laid on. “I’m coming!” He stumbles on the beer cans scattered across the floor, where he couldn’t way for his wife to come back from physical therapy to clean them up.  _ Lazy bitch.  _ “What?” Johnny answers the door, annoyed by the interruption, his mood changing when he sees a beautiful woman standing there holding a clipboard.

“Oh, I’m so sorry to bother you, sir but my phone’s dead and I can’t get a hold of the agency, I was wondering if I could use your phone, I promise I’ll be quick.” She asks, shivering from being soaked by the cold rain. "I'm not from around and truth be told, I'm quite lost."

“Oh, of course, no problem at all, sugar." He opens up the door wider, giving her enough space to squeeze her way in. "Wow, you do smell good." Johnny notices suggestively when she walks past him. "Can I get you anything?" He asks while she makes her way to the house phone. 

"Oh, a towel would be nice." She smiles, picking up the phone. "Thank you so much, sir." 

"No problem, no problem at all." Johnny smiles back, going to the small bathroom and fetching her his wife's clean towel as the inconsiderate pig he was. Taking the chance to check his breath, even combing his oily hair. "There you go." He hands her the towel, licking his lips. 

"You're a lifesaver, sir." The woman sighs, drying herself the best way she could, knowing his eyes were watching her at all times. "Thank you." 

"I'm here to protect and serve, sweetie." He smirks watching the clothes sticking to her figure. 

"Wow, don't tell me you're from the force?" Her green eyes lit up. "I'm so lucky, I came just in the right place. You never know who's house you're entering these days." She clutched the crucifix on her neck. 

"Speaking of that, you also never know who's entering your home too." He takes a few steps towards her, getting dangerously close. "What's your name, sweetie?"

"You can call me Lucy." She reaches out her hand. “Well, I should get going, my cab will probably be here anytime now.”

“Why don’t you wait here? What kind of gentlemen would I be letting a beautiful girl like you all wet?” She chuckles at his comment. Even though that was exactly what he was doing to his actual wife, letting her come back from therapy on that heavy rain. “Come on, have a seat.”

“No, I don’t want to bother you any longer, sir. You’re very kind.” She walks towards the door and gets up, stopping her from getting out. 

“Come on, have a seat.” His tone was harsher this time and she complied, sitting next to him. “So...how does a girl like you end up in a neighborhood like this?”

“Well, would you believe if I told you I came here to teach a pig a lesson?” She asks, putting her hand on his shoulder, laughing along with him while she checked the soaked-up clipboard on her lap. 

“What happened? Your boyfriend cheated on you?” 

“Of course not, I mean, who would cheat on this?” Johnny laughed again, agreeing with her, finally lowering his eyes to look at the clipboard. “It’s so funny how easily people trust you if you have a clipboard with you.” She chuckled. “Isn’t that right, Jhonny?”

He stopped laughing, frowning. 

“I never told you my name.” The black-haired woman still smiles, tilting her head to the side. "Who are you?" 

"Can you guess? Starts with an S and it ends with your death." She jokes as she bashes the clipboard against his throat, making him gasp for air desperately. “God, you’re pathetic.” She kicked his sides, then kicked again, his jaw this time, HARD.

Johnny crawled, trying to dodge her next blow but he had drunk more than he should, the cans scattered all over the place were more than enough proof. He reached for his gun that was on the tiny desk by the couch.

"GET BACK!" He pointed at her and she froze in place, his mouth hurt so much that he felt like he could faint at any given point. "I'll fucking shoot you!" 

"No, you're not." She chuckled, teasing him. "Come on, I dare you, Johnny." 

Johnny pulled the trigger, aiming at her legs but to his horror, it was empty. 

"You should always check if it's loaded, you dumb fuck." She tossed a bullet on his face, pulling out a gun from her waistband. "It will save you from embarrassing situations like this one. Trust me, I've learned the hard way." 

“Is this about game night?” He gasped, his mouth bloody and busted, she had cracked his jaw. “Tell Donny I’ll pay him back, I just need to get my wife’s insurance,” Johnny begged after she kicked him once again, on his groin this time, he wailed in pain, blood gurgling from his mouth.

"I don't know any Donny but what game night are you talking about?" She asked, stepping on his windpipe, releasing the pressure only enough so he could give her an answer. "Shall I count to three?"

"I'll get the money, okay?" His words were barely comprehensible at this point. "All I need is her signature on the papers and her son's too and I'll get you the money." 

"So that's why you hit him?" She scoffed. "You hit a literal child, lied about his mother's health only you could lure him into signing you some stupid papers so you could pay for YOUR stupid gambling debt?" She asked between gritted teeth, furious, stepping on his neck again. "Where are your balls, your fucking coward?"

"... I'll get the money." He repeated, still thinking that this was Donny's (whoever that might be) doing. "Please, don't kill me. Take whatever you want." 

She chuckles, then giggles, that giggle later turning into a laughing fit as the sinister idea crosses her mind, crouching by his side.

"Oh, Johnny…" She tapped his face, before grabbing his busted jaw, squeezing it painfully, the pain so severe that it made him faint.  _ Shit, I wanted him awake for this _ . "That was a very, very poor choice of words." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter we'll get the aftermath of Salem's visit to Johnny hehe
> 
> Thank you so much for reading, let me know what you think!
> 
> See yaa


End file.
